The original jurisdiction of a court refers to matters on which the court rules in the first instance, as opposed to matters in which it reviews the decision of another court. The latter is appellate jurisdiction.

France

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The Conseil d'État has original jurisdiction on a number of litigations against national authorities, including recourses against decrees and some administrative decisions.

United States

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The Supreme Court of the United States generally has appellate jurisdiction over its cases; i.e., cases are appealed through the judicial system until they reach the Court, most commonly through writs of certiorari. However, in a limited class of cases, the Court has original jurisdiction to consider the facts and the law of a case without it having first been passed on by a lower court. Currently, the only original jurisdiction cases commonly handled by the Supreme Court are disputes between two or more U.S. states, typically regarding boundary lines, water claims, or other property issues.

See also: Article Three's effect on Supreme Court jurisdiction

References

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Legal terms