Opinion ID: 1983777
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: Article IV, § 86 of the North Dakota Constitution (as amended, Art. 97, S.L. 1975, ch. 615, and approved September 7, 1976, S.L. 1977, ch. 599), gives this Court appellate jurisdiction and also original jurisdiction with authority to issue, hear, and determine such original and remedial writs as may be necessary to properly exercise its jurisdiction. The power vested in this Court to issue original and remedial writs is a discretionary power which may not be invoked as a matter of right, and this Court will determine for itself in each case whether that particular case is within its jurisdiction. State ex rel. Foughty v. Friederich, 108 N.W.2d 681 (N.D.1961); State ex rel. Lyons v. Guy, 107 N.W.2d 211 (N.D.1961). It is well settled that the power of this Court to issue writs in the exercise of its original jurisdiction extends only to those cases in which the question presented is publici juris, wherein the sovereignty of the State, the franchises or prerogatives of the State, or the liberties of its people are affected. Gasser v. Dorgan, 261 N.W.2d 386 (N.D. Dec. 20, 1977); State v. Peterson, 174 N.W.2d 95 (N.D.1970); State ex rel. Lyons v. Guy, supra . To warrant the exercise of this Court's original jurisdiction the interests of the State must be primary, not incidental, and the public, the community at large, must have an interest or right which may be affected. Gasser v. Dorgan, supra ; State v. Omdahl, 138 N.W.2d 439 (N.D. 1965); State v. North Dakota Hospital Service Ass'n, 106 N.W.2d 545 (N.D.1960). Furthermore, this Court will not exercise its original jurisdiction to issue a writ of quo warranto, on the application of a private relator, unless the Attorney General has been requested to institute the proceedings and has refused to grant the request or has unreasonably delayed action thereon. State ex rel. Lyons v. Guy, supra ; State ex rel. Conrad v. Langer, 68 N.D. 167, 277 N.W. 504 (1938). The case of State ex rel. Erickson v. Burr, 16 N.D. 581, 113 N.W. 705 (1907), is direct precedent for the exercise of this Court's original jurisdiction in the instant case. In Burr, supra, the Governor appointed a district judge for the Ninth Judicial District. Subsequent to the appointment a private relator filed an information in the nature of quo warranto against the appointed district judge asserting that the appointment was invalid because state law required the position of district judge to be filled by an election by the people. In determining that the case was within this Court's original jurisdiction, we stated, in Burr, supra 113 N.W. at 707-708: ... the question involves the construction of a law to determine whether the Governor shall appoint, or the people elect, a judicial officer provided for by the State Constitution. It involves the question whether a law of a public nature and necessarily affecting the state at large is properly construed as contemplating immediate action by the Governor in making an appointment or a delay in filling the office until an election is held. If no immediate appointment is provided for, then the question is presented whether the defendant should be permitted to act under an illegal appointment under which the validity of his official acts is a matter of serious doubt. Irrespective of the matters of sole and personal interest to the relator, we have no hesitation in saying that a private relator's appeal for our assuming jurisdiction should be granted. The public is interested, and it is a matter of great public concern that the laws shall be interpreted by courts constituted as provided by the laws, and not otherwise. The same issues of great public concern which existed in the Burr case are fully present in the instant case. The private relators, prior to instituting this case, properly requested the Attorney General to bring the action. He refused to do so. We conclude that this Court has jurisdiction to determine the issues of this case which have been properly brought before us, and we turn now to the disposition of those issues.