Jurisdiction
The authority that creates the authority that decides the law in a given place; and also the place.
How We Say It
joorΒ·isΒ·dikΒ·shΙn
Where It Comes From
Latin jurisdictio β administration of justice. From juris (of law) + dictio (saying, declaration). The legal authority to hear and decide cases.
How It's Been Used
Defines who has legal authority over a person, place, or subject matter. Federal versus state jurisdiction in the US produces ongoing conflicts. International jurisdiction β whether courts in one country can prosecute crimes committed in another β is contested. Questions of jurisdiction frequently determine whether accountability is possible at all: crimes committed in places with weak jurisdictional frameworks often go unprosecuted not because they are unknown but because no court has authority to act.