law of the case

: a doctrine in legal procedure: an issue especially of law that has been decided (as by an appeals court) will not be reconsidered in the same case unless compelling circumstances warrant such reconsideration; also : a matter of law considered as settled in a case the jury instructions were not objected to and thus became the law of the case : a matter of law considered as settled in a case the jury instructions were not objected to and thus became the law of the case