Jurisdiction
Etymology
From Latin jurisdictio, "the administration of justice," combining iuris ("of law, of right") and dictio ("a speaking," from dicere, "to say"). The literal idea is "the speaking of the law." It entered English through Old French to name exactly that: the recognized authority to declare and apply law within defined limits.
noun · /joor-iss-DIK-shun/
The official power a court or authority has to make legal decisions over certain people, places, or matters.
What it names
Why a case can be thrown out simply for being filed in the wrong court, and why one country’s police cannot arrest someone across the border.
Example
The federal court dismissed the suit, ruling that the dispute fell outside its jurisdiction.
Related idea
Jurisdiction is the authority to hear a case; sovereignty is the broader supreme authority of a state over its whole territory.