the capacity, authority, and power of a judge to decide a case; the tract of land or district within which a judge or court had authority. Original jurisdiction was the authority of a court to rule first in a certain class of cases. Appellate jurisdiction was the authority of a court to rule on an appeal from an inferior court. Exclusive jurisdiction was the authority of a court to rule on cases that no other court could hear. Concurrent jurisdiction was the authority of a court to rule on cases that other courts could also legitimately hear.