Cite as: 532 U. S. 742 (2001)
Opinion of the Court
In short, considerations of equity persuade us that application of judicial estoppel is appropriate in this case. Having convinced this Court to accept one interpretation of "Middle of the River," and having benefited from that interpretation, New Hampshire now urges an inconsistent interpretation to gain an additional advantage at Maine's expense. Were we to accept New Hampshire's latest view, the "risk of inconsistent court determinations," C. I. T. Constr. Inc., 944 F. 2d, at 259, would become a reality. We cannot interpret "Middle of the River" in the 1740 decree to mean two different things along the same boundary line without undermining the integrity of the judicial process.
Finally, notwithstanding the balance of equities, New Hampshire points to this Court's recognition that "ordinarily the doctrine of estoppel or that part of it which precludes inconsistent positions in judicial proceedings is not applied to states," Illinois ex rel. Gordon v. Campbell, 329 U. S. 362, 369 (1946). Of course, "broad interests of public policy may make it important to allow a change of positions that might seem inappropriate as a matter of merely private interests." 18 Wright § 4477, p. 784. But this is not a case where estoppel would compromise a governmental interest in enforcing the law. Cf. Heckler v. Community Health Services of Crawford Cty., Inc., 467 U. S. 51, 60 (1984) ("When the Government is unable to enforce the law because the conduct of its agents has given rise to an estoppel, the interest of the citizenry as a whole in obedience to the rule of law is undermined. It is for this reason that it is well settled that the Government may not be estopped on the same terms as any other litigant."). Nor is this a case where the shift in the government's position is "the result of a change in public policy," United States v. Owens, 54 F. 3d 271, 275 (CA6 1995); cf. Commissioner v. Sunnen, 333 U. S. 591, 601 (1948) (collateral estoppel does not apply to Commissioner where pertinent statutory provisions or Treasury
755
Page: Index Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 NextLast modified: October 4, 2007