discretionary law definition
Discretionary jurisdiction. Discretionary jurisdiction is a circumstance where a court has the power to decide whether to hear a particular case brought before it. Most courts have no such power, and must entertain any case properly filed, so long as the court has subject matter jurisdiction over the questions of law which must be decided, and in personam jurisdiction over the parties to the case. Typically, the highest court in a state or country will have discretionary jurisdiction. The reason for this is that appellate courts in common law countries have two basic functions: error correction and ensuring the orderly development of case law.