Res judicata barred the appeal because unchallenged findings in connected writ petitions had already attained finality.

Res judicata bars a later appeal where a common judgment contains separable final decisions on common issues and one of those decisions was not challenged. The Kerala High Court noted that res judicata applies in public law proceedings and that unappealed findings in connected writ petitions attain finality. Because the earlier writ decisions had conclusively determined cadre status and related rights, the appellate challenge sought to reopen matters already concluded, so further examination on the merits was unnecessary.

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Issues: Whether the appeals were barred by res judicata because the appellants had not challenged the final findings in the connected writ petitions decided by the same common judgment.

Analysis: Res judicata operates to prevent repetitive litigation and applies to public law proceedings as well. Where a common judgment effectively contains distinct decisions on common issues, each unchallenged decision attains finality. In the present case, two connected writ petitions had attained finality without appeal, and those decisions had conclusively determined the cadre status and related rights of the parties. Since the appeals sought to reopen issues already concluded by those final findings, further examination on the merits was unnecessary.

Conclusion: The appeals were barred by res judicata.

Final Conclusion: The appellate challenge failed at the threshold, and the dismissal rested on the preclusive effect of the unchallenged final findings in the connected writ proceedings.

Ratio Decidendi: Where a common judgment contains separable final decisions on common issues and one such decision is not appealed, the unchallenged decision attains finality and operates as res judicata in a later appeal raising the same issue.

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