Jurisdiction

The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a certain type of case. It also is used as a synonym for venue, meaning the geographic area over which the court has territorial jurisdiction to decide cases.

Source: U.S. Courts

The legal authority which a court or administrative agency has over particular persons and over certain types of cases, usually in a defined geographical area.

(See also: Initiating Jurisdiction; Long Arm Jurisdiction)

Source: Office of Child Support Enforcement.

(1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case; (2) the geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases; (3) the territory, subject matter, or persons over which lawful authority may be exercised by a court.

Source: California Courts.

Authority to apply the law in a given territory or region.  For example, the INS district office in the area where a person lives has jurisdiction or authority to decide on a fiance(e) petition.

Source: U.S. Department of State.

Last reviewed October 2022