Jurisdiction of the Cause Law and Legal Definition
Jurisdiction of the cause, otherwise known as subject-matter jurisdiction is the power of a court to hear and determine cases of the general class to which the proceedings in question belong. It is the power of a court to hear particular types of cases. In state court systems, statutes that create different courts generally set boundaries on their subject matter jurisdiction. Some courts specialize in a particular area of the law, such as probate law, family Law, or juvenile Law. The subject matter jurisdiction of a court may be determined by the monetary value of the dispute also. For example, small claims court. A defendant who believes that a court lacks subject matter jurisdiction to hear the case may raise this issue before the trial court or in an appeal from the judgment.
