What term describes the situation where only one court has the power to hear a case?

• A. General jurisdiction
• B. Exclusive jurisdiction
• C. Court of record
• D. Writ of certiorari

Answer: (B)

Exclusive jurisdiction describes a situation where only one court has the power to hear a case. It means that the designated court alone can adjudicate the matter, and other courts are barred from hearing it. This setup is often created by statute or constitutional provisions to ensure uniformity or to manage sensitive areas like patent or bankruptcy matters.

By contrast, general jurisdiction means a court can hear a wide variety of cases, not restricted to a single matter or forum. A court of record refers to a court whose proceedings are formally recorded and kept as an official record, unrelated to which court can hear a case. A writ of certiorari is a higher court’s discretionary review of a lower court’s decision, not a description of which court may hear a case initially.