Legal Definitions - lack of jurisdiction

Lack of jurisdiction refers to a court's inability to act in a particular way or provide certain types of relief. This can occur when a court lacks the authority over a person or the subject matter of a lawsuit, or when the prerequisites for its jurisdiction have not been met.

• A state court cannot hear a case that involves federal law because it lacks jurisdiction over federal matters.
• A court cannot issue a ruling on a case if it does not have jurisdiction over the defendant, meaning the defendant is not subject to the court's authority.
• A court may lack jurisdiction over a case until certain conditions are met, such as the plaintiff exhausting all administrative remedies before filing a lawsuit.

These examples illustrate how a court's lack of jurisdiction can prevent it from taking action or providing relief in certain situations.