Exclusive Jurisdiction Law and Legal Definition
Exclusive jurisdiction refers to power of a court to adjudicate a case to the exclusion of all other courts. It is the sole forum for determination of a particular type of case. Exclusive jurisdiction is decided on the basis of the subject matter dealt with by a particular court. For example, the U.S. district courts have exclusive jurisdiction on bankruptcy matters [28 USCS § 1334]. Exclusive jurisdiction is conferred on courts by the U.S. constitution, various statutes or contract between the parties.
The jurisdiction is said to be concurrent when two or more different courts possess the authority to hear and decide on the same matter within the same territory.
