Jurisdiction (area)

For powers of courts and public authority, see Jurisdiction.

A jurisdiction is the legal authority of a court, government, or other entity to make and enforce laws within a defined area.^[1][2][3]

Each state in a federation—such as Australia, Germany, and the United States—forms a separate jurisdiction. Certain laws, however, may be uniform across the constituent states and enforced by federal courts, resulting in a single jurisdiction for those purposes.

A jurisdiction may also prosecute individuals for crimes committed outside its territory if the perpetrator returns.^[4] Citizens from other jurisdictions can sometimes be extradited to a jurisdiction where the act is illegal, even if it occurred elsewhere.^[5][6]

Unitary states usually constitute a single jurisdiction. Notable exceptions include the United Kingdom, which has three separate legal systems: England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.^[a] China also has separate jurisdictions for Hong Kong and Macao.

See also

• Ecclesiastical jurisdiction
• Political division
• State (polity)
• Sovereign state
• Federated state
• State law
• Change of venue

Notes

1. Devolution in Wales means some legislation applies only to England or Wales.