| A | B |
|---|
| Jurisdiction | Power of a court to try and decide a case. |
| Exclusive Jurisdiction | Power of the federal courts alone to hear certain cases. |
| Concurrent Jurisdiction | Power shared by federal and state courts to hear certain cases. |
| Plaintiff | In civil law, the party who brings a suit or some other legal action against another in court. |
| Defendant | In a civil suit, the person against whom a court action is brought by the plaintiff; in a criminal case, the person charged with the crime. |
| Original Jurisdiction | Power to hear a case first, before any other court. |
| Appellate Jurisdiction | Authority of a court to review decisions of inferior (lower) courts. |
| Writ of Certiorari | Order issued by a higher court directing a lower court to send up the record of a case for its review. |
| Certificate | A method of putting a case before the Supreme Court; used when a lower court is not clear about the procedure or the rule of law that should apply in a case and asks the Supreme Court to certify the answer to a specific question. |
| Majority Opinion | Written statement by a majority of the judges of a court in support of a decision made by that court. |
| Concurring Opinion | Written explanation of the views of one or more judges who support a decision reached by a majority of the court but disagree with the grounds for that decision. |
| Dissenting Opinion | Written explanation of the views of one or more judges who disagree with (dissent from) a decision reached by a majority of the court. |
| Redress | Satisfaction of a claim brought in court. |
