He who has once relinquished or renounced his action cannot bring it again.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) Once a party voluntarily abandons or relinquishes a cause of action, it cannot be revived — the right to sue, once surrendered, is extinguished forever.

Where this applies

• A plaintiff who voluntarily dismissed her personal-injury lawsuit with prejudice cannot refile the same claim a year later.
• A creditor who accepted a settlement and signed a release giving up all claims cannot later sue the debtor for the same debt.
• A tenant who agreed to terminate his lease and surrendered the apartment cannot later bring a lawsuit claiming wrongful eviction based on that same lease.