Legal Definitions - res integra

Res integra

Res integra means "an entire thing" in Latin. It is also known as res nova, which means "new thing". It refers to an undecided question of law or a case of first impression.

When a court is faced with a legal issue that has never been decided before, it is called a case of first impression or res integra. For example, if a new technology is invented and there are no laws that address it, a court may have to decide how to apply existing laws to the new technology.

Another example of res integra is when there is a legal dispute that has never been resolved before. For instance, if two parties have a disagreement over a contract provision that has never been interpreted by a court, it would be considered a res integra case.

These examples illustrate how res integra refers to legal issues that are new and have not been decided before. It is up to the court to interpret the law and make a decision that will set a precedent for future cases.