Simon's Legal Resources

Estoppel, Res Judicata and Stare Decisis

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COMMENT

'Estoppel' refers to a party being barred from asserting a claimed right because of them having elected, either directly or implicitly, a past position inconsistent with that now-claimed right. Such a 'position' may be taken or made by statement, action - or even inaction. For example, you may be 'estopped' from arguing interpretation A of a contract, when you have relied on the contrary position B for the last year.

In Ryan v. Moore (SCC, 2005) the Supreme Court of Canada lists the six recognized types of estoppel:

52 The jurisprudence discloses six types of estoppel: estoppel by representation of fact, proprietary estoppel, promissory estoppel, estoppel by convention, estoppel by deed and estoppel by negligence (see Bower, at pp. 3-9). ...

Res judicata and stare decisis are similar only they are more authoritative, since the accepted position is 'officially'-endorsed - ie. having resulted from a past legal ruling (res judicata) or from established legal principle (stare decisis). Stare decisis comes in at least two types - 'vertical' and 'horizontal'!.

What all of these doctrines share is that they operate to block arguing against something that is already established - either factually, legally - or both.

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CASES

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ESTOPPEL

Estoppel - General

Estoppel - Estoppel And Public Authorities

Issue Estoppel

Estoppel - Issue Estoppel (+)
Estoppel - Issue Estoppel within Summary Judgment
Estoppel - Issue Estoppel and Criminal Law (+)
Estoppel - Issue Estoppel - Final versus Interlocutory Orders
Estoppel - Issue Estoppel - Settlement
Estoppel - Issue Estoppel - Administrative

Cause of Action Estoppel

Estoppel - Cause of Action Estoppel (+)
Estoppel - Cause of Action Estoppel - 'Intimate Partner Violence' (IPV) Exception

Promissory Estoppel

Estoppel - Promissory Estoppel (+)

Proprietary Estoppel

Estoppel - Proprietary Estoppel

Estoppel by Representation

Estoppel - Estoppel by Representation

Estoppel by Convention

Estoppel - Estoppel by Convention

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RES JUDICATA

Res Judicata

Res Judicata - General (+)
Res Judicata - Reconsideration
Res Judicata - Discretionary

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STARE DECISIS

Stare Decisis

Stare Decisis - General | Part 2
Stare Decisis - Obiter Dicta
Stare Decisis - Judicial Comity
Stare Decisis - Reconsiderations
Stare Decisis - Horizontal (+)
Stare Decisis - 'Reasonable Hypotheticals' Charter Doctrine
Stare Decisis - International Authorities as Precedents
Stare Decisis - Charter
Administrative Stare Decisis [LINK /administrative]
Stare Decisis - Interlocutory Orders
Stare Decisis - Federal Court
Stare Decisis - Per Incuriam

Reconsidering Precedent (Stare Decisis)

VAVILOV - Stare Decisis - Reconsidering Precedent
Stare Decisis - Reconsidering Precedent (+)

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EDIT NOTES
. see Ryan v. Moore, 2005 SCC 38 (CanLII), [2005] 2 SCR 53