Definition

1. Noun:
   • Legal authority: The official power or right granted to a legal body, court, or official to make legal decisions, administer justice, and apply laws within a defined area or over certain types of cases.
   • Territorial or subject-matter scope: The geographical area, group of people, or category of matters over which this legal authority is exercised.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The federal court has jurisdiction over cases involving constitutional law.
  • This crime falls outside the local police department's jurisdiction.
  • The dispute is about which country has jurisdiction in international waters.

Advanced Usage

• "to have jurisdiction over": to possess the legal authority to govern or adjudicate a particular area or subject.
  • The agency has jurisdiction over environmental regulations.
• "to fall/come within the jurisdiction of": to be subject to the authority of a particular court or body.
  • Maritime cases fall within the jurisdiction of the admiralty court.
• "to exercise jurisdiction": to use or apply one's legal authority.
  • The judge exercised her jurisdiction to dismiss the case.

Variants and Related Words

• Jurisdictional (adj): relating to jurisdiction.
  • The lawyer raised a jurisdictional challenge, arguing the court had no authority to hear the case.

Synonyms

• Authority: The power or right to give orders and enforce obedience.
• Purview: The scope or range of authority, influence, or activity.
• Competence: The legal authority of a court or other body to deal with a particular matter.

Related Phrases

• Original jurisdiction: The authority of a court to hear a case for the first time, as opposed to appellate jurisdiction.
  • The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in cases affecting ambassadors.
• Appellate jurisdiction: The authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts.
  • The Court of Appeals exercises appellate jurisdiction.
• Concurrent jurisdiction: A situation where two or more courts from different systems simultaneously have jurisdiction over a specific case.
  • State and federal courts sometimes have concurrent jurisdiction.
• Personal jurisdiction: A court's authority over the parties involved in a lawsuit.
  • The court must establish personal jurisdiction over the defendant.
• Subject-matter jurisdiction: A court's authority to hear a specific type of case.
  • Bankruptcy court has subject-matter jurisdiction over bankruptcy petitions.

Noun

1. in law; the territory within which power can be exercised
2. (law) the right and power to interpret and apply the law
   • courts having jurisdiction in this district