Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the notion of jurisdiction of states. In its broadest
sense, the jurisdiction of a State may refer to its lawful power to act and hence to its power to
decide whether and, if so, how to act. While lawyers frequently use the term “jurisdiction”
more narrowly to refer to the lawful power to make and enforce rules, it is useful to bear in
mind the broader meaning. For example, the United Nations may not intervene in matters
essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of a State. The power of an organ or subdivision�…