‘Original jurisdiction’ gives a court authority to hear a case first.  This means that if you have a legal issue and you want to take it to court, your first attempt must be at the court with ‘Original Jurisdiction’ over the issue.

Note: ‘Original jurisdiction’ can also be called ‘first instance jurisdictionThe ‘jurisdiction’ of a court is the authority of that court or tribunal to hear certain matters brought before it. This is based on factors such as the area or law, the amount of money claimed, or the geographic area. More.’