Subject-matter jurisdiction is the authority
of a court to hear cases
of a particular
type or cases relating
to a specific subject
matter.
Subject Matter: Stanley R. Siler's copyright and recorded
documents.
Subject-matter jurisdiction
must be distinguished
from personal jurisdiction,
which is the
power of a court to render
a judgment against
a particular defendant,
and territorial jurisdiction,
which is the power of the
court to render
a judgment concerning events
that have occurred
within a well-defined territory.
Unlike personal
or territorial jurisdiction,
lack of subject-matter
jurisdiction cannot be
waived. A judgment
from a court that did not
have subject-matter
jurisdiction is forever
a nullity.
To decide a case, a court
must have a combination
of subject and either personal
or territorial
jurisdiction.
Subject-matter jurisdiction,
personal or
territorial jurisdiction,
and adequate notice
are the three most fundamental
constitutional
requirements for a valid
judgment.
