Jurisdiction in Rem Law and Legal Definition
Jurisdiction in rem means the power a court may exercise over property. Jurisdiction in rem is also a status against a person over whom the court does not have in personam jurisdiction. Jurisdiction in rem assumes that the property or status is the primary object of the action, rather than personal liberties not necessarily associated with the property.
In the U.S.court system, the term jurisdiction in rem refers to the power a federal court or a state court may exercise over large items of moveable property, or real property located with in the courts jurisdiction.