In the context of appeal processes, what is "law of the case"?

The term "law of the case" refers to the principle that once an appellate court has made a ruling on a legal issue in a particular case, that ruling becomes binding on all lower courts involved in the case for any future proceedings. This means that the legal findings or interpretations established during the appellate review must be followed by the trial court and any other lower courts while the case continues to be litigated.

This principle promotes consistency and efficiency in the judicial process, as it prevents re-litigation of the same legal issues at different levels of the court system. It ensures that once a legal question has been settled by an appellate court, the same issue will not be revisited by a lower court, aiding in maintaining the integrity of the judicial system and reducing unnecessary delays.

In contrast, the other options focus on different aspects of legal proceedings that do not relate directly to the binding nature of appellate court decisions on lower courts.