Collateral estoppel applies to prevent re-litigation of what kind of issues?

Collateral estoppel applies to prevent re-litigation of what kind of issues?

• A. Specific fact issues
• B. Any issue of law
• C. Only issues decided by the same court
• D. Any issue in any case

Answer: (A)

Collateral estoppel focuses on preventing relitigation of a specific factual finding that was actually litigated and necessarily decided in a prior case. When that particular fact issue was actually litigated, fully heard, and essential to the judgment, it’s barred from being argued again in later cases involving the same party. That’s why the correct choice points to specific fact issues—the determination of a concrete fact from the first proceeding is what gets protected from further dispute. The other options don’t fit as well. Collateral estoppel isn’t a blanket bar on any issue of law, since only issues actually litigated and essential to the prior judgment are protected, and law questions aren’t automatically included. It isn’t restricted to issues decided by the same court—preclusion can apply across courts. And it isn’t unlimited to any issue in any case; there are structural requirements (such as actual litigation, full and fair opportunity to litigate, and essentiality to the first judgment) that limit when it applies.

Collateral estoppel focuses on preventing relitigation of a specific factual finding that was actually litigated and necessarily decided in a prior case. When that particular fact issue was actually litigated, fully heard, and essential to the judgment, it’s barred from being argued again in later cases involving the same party. That’s why the correct choice points to specific fact issues—the determination of a concrete fact from the first proceeding is what gets protected from further dispute.

The other options don’t fit as well. Collateral estoppel isn’t a blanket bar on any issue of law, since only issues actually litigated and essential to the prior judgment are protected, and law questions aren’t automatically included. It isn’t restricted to issues decided by the same court—preclusion can apply across courts. And it isn’t unlimited to any issue in any case; there are structural requirements (such as actual litigation, full and fair opportunity to litigate, and essentiality to the first judgment) that limit when it applies.