Exclusive jurisdiction

In civil procedure, exclusive jurisdiction exists where one court has the power to adjudicate a case to the exclusion of all other courts. It is the opposite situation from concurrent jurisdiction, in which more than one court may take jurisdiction over the case.

Exclusive jurisdiction is typically defined in terms of subject matter.

For example, 28 U.S.C. § 1334 gives the United States district courts exclusive jurisdiction over all matters arising in bankruptcy (with few exceptions).

On a Federal level, exclusive jurisdiction allows the Supreme Court to review the decisions in lower courts.

See also

• Original jurisdiction--the power of a court to hear a case for the first time
• Appellate jurisdiction--the power of a court to hear a case on appeal