What legal principle addresses the finality of judgments in civil procedure?

The principle that addresses the finality of judgments in civil procedure is res judicata. This legal doctrine, also known as claim preclusion, prevents parties from relitigating a cause of action that has already been judged by a competent court. Essentially, once a final judgment has been rendered on the merits of a case, the same parties cannot bring any further claims based on the same transaction or occurrence.

Res judicata promotes the efficiency of the judicial system by ensuring that once a dispute has been resolved, it is not reopened unnecessarily, which conserves judicial resources and provides certainty to parties. It aims to uphold the integrity of final judgments, allowing individuals to rely on the outcomes of litigation without fear of ongoing legal challenges related to the same matter.

Other options such as collateral estoppel, while also related to the principle of finality, focus on preventing the re-litigation of specific issues that have already been determined in earlier proceedings, rather than the entirety of claims or causes of action. Jurisdictional supremacy and futility of litigation do not specifically address the finality of judgments, making res judicata the most appropriate choice in this context.