CLASSIFICATION OF JURISDICTION

1) GENERAL JURISDICTION
> The power to adjudicate all controversies, except those expressly withheld from the plenary
powers of the court

2) SPECIAL JURISDICTION
> Which restricts the court’s jurisdiction only to particular cases and subject to such limitations as
may be provided by the governing law

3) ORIGINAL JURISDICTION
> The power of the court to take judicial cognizance of a case instituted for judicial action for the
first time under conditions provided by law;

4) APPELLATE JURISDICTION
> The authority of the court higher in rank to re-examine the final order, judgment or a lower
court which tried the case now elevated for judicial review

5) EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION
> Power to adjudicate a case or proceeding to the exclusion of other courts at that stage

6) CONCURRENT JURISDICTION
> Sometimes referred to as the coordinate jurisdiction which is the power conferred upon
different courts whether of the same or different ranks, to take cognizance at the state of the same case
in the same or different judicial territories

7) DELEGATED JURISDICTION
> The grant of authority to inferior courts to hear and determine cadastral and registration cases
under certain conditions

8) SPECIAL JURISDICTION
> The power of the inferior courts to hear and decide petitions for writ of habeas corpus or
applications for bail in the absence of all RTC judges in the province or city. “Interlocutory jurisdiction”

9) TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION
> Refers to the geographical area within which its powers can be exercised:
MTC – within the municipality or city where it is located as may be defined by the SC
RTC – within the region or province where it is located
SC & CA – within the Philippine territory (nationwide)

CLASSIFICATION OF THE COURT ACCORDING TO JURISDICTION

> In the Philippines, our courts are “both courts of law and of equity”

1) COURT OF GENERAL JURISDICTION

> Those competent to decide their own jurisdiction and to take cognizance of all kinds of cases except
those expressly withheld from the plenary powers of the court

2) COURT OF SPECIAL OR LIMITED JURISDICTION

 > Those which have no power to decide their own jurisdiction and only try cases permitted by the
statute

3) COURT OF ORIGINAL JURISDICTION

> Those which under the law, actions or proceedings may originally be commenced

4) COURT OF APPELLATE JURISDICTION

> Those which have the power to review on appeal the decisions or orders of a lower court

5) SUPERIOR COURTS
> Those which have the power of review and supervision over another or lower court

6) INFERIOR COURTS
> Those which, in relation to another court, are lower in rank and subject to review and supervision by
the latter
> As used in the 1987 Constitution, the term “inferior courts” refer to all courts lower than the
Supreme Court

7) COURTS OF RECORD
> Those whose proceedings are enrolled and which are bound to keep a written record of all trials and
proceedings handled by them
> RA 6031 mandates to all MTC to be a court of record. Thus, Courts not of record, no longer exist

8) CONSTITUTIONAL COURTS
> Those which owe their creation and existence to the constitution and therefore cannot be legislated
out of existence or deprived by law of the jurisdiction and powers unqualifiedly vested in them by the
Constitution.
Ex. SC & Sandiganbayan

9) STATUTORY COURTS
> Those created, organized and with jurisdiction exclusively determined by law.
Ex. CTA
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GENERAL RULE: Jurisdiction, once acquired, continues until the case is finally terminated.

EXCEPTIONS:
1) When a subsequent law provides a prohibition for the continued exercise of jurisdiction;
2) Where the law penalizing an act as punishable is repealed by a subsequent law;
3) When the accused is deprived of his constitutional rights such as where the court fails to provide
counsel for the accused who is unable to obtain one and does not intelligently waive his constitutional
right;
4) Where the statute expressly provides, or is construed to the effect that it intended to operate as to
actions pending before its enactment;
5) When the proceedings in the court acquiring jurisdiction is terminated, abandoned or declared void;
6) Once appeal has been perfected.