A jurisdiction is the legal authority of a court, government, or other entity to make and enforce laws within a defined area.
Each state in a federation—such as Australia, Germany, and the United States—forms a separate jurisdiction. Certain laws, however, may be uniform across the constituent states and enforced by federal courts, resulting in a single jurisdiction for those purposes.
A jurisdiction may also prosecute individuals for crimes committed outside its territory if the perpetrator returns. Citizens from other jurisdictions can sometimes be extradited to a jurisdiction where the act is illegal, even if it occurred elsewhere.
Unitary states usually constitute a single jurisdiction. Notable exceptions include the United Kingdom, which has three separate legal systems: England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. China also has separate jurisdictions for Hong Kong and Macao.
See also Change of venue Ecclesiastical jurisdiction Federated state Political division Sovereign state State law State (polity)
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References
Further reading Beale, Joseph H. (1935) A Treatise on the Conflict of Laws. Dicey & Morris. (1993) The Conflict of Laws 12th edition. London: Sweet & Maxwell Ltd. (pp26/30) McClean, David. (2000). Morris: The Conflict of Laws. London: Sweet & Maxwell Ltd.