Original jurisdiction refers to which aspect of a court's authority?

• A. The authority to review a decision by a lower court
• B. The lawful authority of a court to hear a case from its beginning and pass judgment on the law and facts
• C. The power to hear appeals from state supreme courts
• D. The power to appoint judges

Answer: (B)

Original jurisdiction is the court’s authority to hear a case from the very beginning and to make a judgment on both the legal issues and the facts presented. In other words, the court acts as the trial court, deciding the merits of the case based on evidence and legal standards, rather than just reviewing how a lower court handled the case. This is what sets original jurisdiction apart from appellate jurisdiction, which is about reviewing a lower court’s decision for legal errors rather than trying the case anew.

Think of it as the difference between starting a case fresh with witnesses and evidence versus stepping in after a decision has already been made to check for mistakes. The option that describes hearing a case from its beginning and rendering judgments on the law and facts captures that trial-focused authority. The other ideas describe reviewing previous decisions, handling appeals from higher courts, or appointing judges—functions that do not involve the initial trial of the case.