Definition

Jurisdiction refers to the extent a political entity can legitimately enforce a law.

Discussion

The term derives from latin juridictio. The prefix is taken from juris, meaning “of law” and the suffix dictio means “to say”.

As such, the traditional meaning of jurisdiction is “to say what the law is”.

In practical terms, jurisdiction means who says what the law is.

The legitimacy of a law is not only its adherance to the Legal Principle but also whether the people enforcing the law have authority to do so.

In a world of free societies, jurisdiction is crucial as it helps form the marketplace of competing laws. In other words, jurisdiction enables us to distinguish between various governance models, identifying which elements are most condusive to freedom and peace and which are prone to vulnerabilities where bad or reckless actors may compromise freedom and peace.

Further Resources

• Gebel, Titus, Free and Private Cities: Making Governments Compete For You (3rd ed, Free Cities Foundation, 2023).