Jurisdiction (area)

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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]

Contents

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

Notes

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

References

  1. ↑ Lehman, Jeffrey; Phelps, Shirelle (2005). West's Encyclopedia of American Law, Vol. 6 (2 ed.). Detroit: Thomson/Gale. p. 293. ISBN   9780787663742.
  2. ↑ Declining jurisdiction in private international law : reports to the XIVth Congress of the International Academy of Comparative Law, Athens, August 1994. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1995. ISBN   019825959X.
  3. ↑ Acheson, Nicholas V.; Williamson, Arthur P. (January 2007). "Civil society in multi-level public policy: the case of Ireland's two jurisdictions". Policy & Politics. 35 (1). Policy Press: 25. doi:10.1332/030557307779657711.
  4. ↑ Surdin, Ashley (2009-09-01). "3 Americans Charged With Traveling to Cambodia for Sex With Children". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  5. ↑ "Copyright Infringement: British Man Faces Extradition To U.S." Deadline. 2012-01-14. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  6. ↑ "New web law - Man extradited to foreign prison for web site content". www.dba-oracle.com. Archived from the original on 2023-01-31. Retrieved 2018-03-11.

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