LEGAL PRINCIPLE: JURISDICTION – Nullity of Proceedings Without Jurisdiction – Invalidity of All Proceedings Conducted Without Jurisdiction
PRINCIPLE STATEMENT
Where a court lacks jurisdiction, all proceedings conducted and orders made constitute a nullity regardless of their apparent procedural regularity.
RATIO DECIDENDI (SOURCE)
"Having held that the trial court had no jurisdiction, all proceedings resulting therefrom the invalid exercise of jurisdiction is a nullity."
EXPLANATION / SCOPE
This principle applies the fundamental doctrine that jurisdiction is a threshold requirement without which no valid judicial act can occur. A jurisdictional defect is not merely an irregularity or error—it voids the entire proceedings ab initio. No judgment, order, or ruling from a court without jurisdiction has legal effect, regardless of how well-conducted the proceedings were or whether parties consented to the jurisdiction. The nullity is automatic and requires no formal setting aside—the proceedings are void, not merely voidable. This principle can be raised at any time, even on appeal or in collateral proceedings, and cannot be waived by parties or cured by subsequent events. It protects the integrity of the judicial system by ensuring courts operate only within their lawful authority.