original jurisdiction
Court's initial authority
Original jurisdiction is the authority of a court to hear a case first, before any appeals.
A court with original jurisdiction conducts the initial trial, hears evidence, and renders the first judgment.
Most cases begin in trial courts, which have original jurisdiction, while appellate courts review decisions already made.
Some courts have both: The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in cases involving ambassadors.
- judicial authorityCourt's power to adjudicate
- trial courtsFirst-level judicial bodies
- Supreme CourtNation's top tribunal
- constitutional lawLegal principles from founding documents
- subject matterContent under discussion
election disputes · judicial review · federalism · property disputes · criminal cases · separation of powers · civil cases · maritime law · oral arguments · legal precedent · legal briefs · federal courts · diplomatic immunity · territorial disputes
original, jurisdiction, origin, origins, originate, originated, originates, originating, origination