Federal Question Law and Legal Definition
Before a federal court can hear a case, or "exercise its jurisdiction," certain conditions must be met. A federal question is one of the bases for the exercise of federal district court jurisdiction over a controversy. A federal question is involved when the matter in dispute is based on subjects enumerated in the U.S. Constitution or when a federal statute or treaty is involved. A federal question may also exist when a dispute arises from controversies between states, or between the United States and foreign governments. Federal questions are often used as a basis for removing a case from state courts to federal courts.
The federal circuit courts have disagreed concerning a fundamental issue of federal court jurisdiction: whether cases that may implicate or involve the foreign relations of the United States, but do not otherwise raise a more traditional federal question under federal law, may be removed from state courts to federal courts.
Legal Definition list
- Federal Public Defender Organization
- Federal Property
- Federal Probation Service
- Federal Private Sector Mandate
- Federal Prison Industries, Inc. [FPI]
- Federal Question
- Federal Question Jurisdiction
- Federal Radio Commission
- Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan
- Federal Railroad Administration [FRA]
- Federal Railroad Safety Laws
Related Legal Terms
- Academic Question
- Accompanying the Federal Government Outside the United States
- Active Voters [Federal Elections]
- Actuarial Documents [Federal Crop Insurance Corporation]
- Actuarially Appropriate [Federal Crop Insurance Corporation]
- Administrative Committee of the Federal Register
- Administrative Governor [Federal Reserve System]
- Advisory Councils of Federal Reserve System
- Agent [Federal Elections]
- Aggregate Federal Share of Compensation
