What can limit a court jurisdiction?

Answer 1

Firstly, distinguish venue from jurisdiction. A State county or circuit court can have jurisdiction, but a particular county or circuit court may not be the appropriate venue, depending on any of a number of factors intersecting the case. An action must be brought in the appropriate venue of the court that has jurisdiction. That is, a circuit court can have jurisdiction, but the circuit court in and for a particular judicial circuit may not be the appropriate venue, in which instance the case is transferred to the appropriate venue.

A court must be able to obtain personal jurisdiction over the parties and be the recipient of a grant of subject-matter jurisdiction, such that it covers the nature of the controversy sought to be presented and adjudicated. Otherwise, it is not considered a court of competent jurisdiction.

Personal jurisdiction is usually broadly construed to assure the existence of an adequate forum for grievances. Even where personal jurisdiction is obtainable, there may be other reasons to proceed in another forum. Usually physical presence in the forum is sufficient, or for some quality to accrue to the individual over which personal jurisdiction is sought, such as the applicability of a state long-arm statute. Alternatively, in rem jurisdiction can affect the interests of an individual through the court obtaining jurisdiction over a thing owned by or of interest to an individual, rather than over the individual himself. An example of this would be personalty or real property located in the forum--for example, that which is located within the geographical boundaries of the State.

Subject-matter jurisdiction must also exist. Whether or not a court has subject-matter jurisdiction is defined in law. Certain courts can only hear certain types of lawsuits, or only claims that either exceed or do not exceed an amount-in-controversy level, depending on the subject-matter jurisdiction of the court.

Finally, a court can be limited by an interlocutory appeal made to a higher court to decide an issue, or an entire outcome can be appealed to a higher court after judgment in and by the lower court is entered. If the appeal succeeds, the lower court's ruling is a nullity. This is not technically a limitation on a court's jurisdiction, but it is in effect a limitation on the court's ultimate power to grant an enduring remedy.