What occurs when an appellate court finds it does not have jurisdiction over a case?

When an appellate court finds that it does not have jurisdiction over a case, the appropriate action it typically takes is to send the case back to the municipal court. Jurisdiction refers to the authority of a court to hear a particular case, and if the appellate court determines it lacks this authority, it cannot proceed with adjudicating the matter. Instead, the case is remanded, meaning it is returned to the lower court, allowing that court to continue handling the case where it was originally filed.

This process ensures that judicial matters are resolved at the appropriate level, maintaining the structure and intended function of the court system. If an appellate court lacks jurisdiction, it must respect the boundaries of its authority, thus necessitating the referral back to the original filing court, which has the proper jurisdiction to hear the case.