Final answer:
Appellate jurisdiction is the power of a court to review the legal issues in a case after a lower court has made a decision. Appellate courts, such as the Supreme Court, do not reassess facts but instead ensure the correct application of the law. The majority of Supreme Court cases are heard on appeal.
Step-by-step explanation:
The appellate jurisdiction of a court refers to its power to review and decide upon the legal issues raised by the appeal of a case already decided by a lower court. Unlike trial courts, which have original jurisdiction and are responsible for fact-finding and applying the law to facts, appellate courts primarily review whether the law was applied correctly in the original case. The Supreme Court, for instance, has both original and appellate jurisdiction, but the majority of cases it hears fall under its appellate jurisdiction.
Appellate courts do not entertain a re-examination of the evidence but instead focus on whether or not the legal proceedings and decisions in the trial were consistent with the law. This includes the interpretation of the law, application of precedents, and assessment of whether any legal errors occurred that could have affected the outcome of the case. The appellate process usually begins with the filing of an appeal by the party dissatisfied with the lower court's decision and may proceed through multiple levels of appeal, culminating at the Supreme Court if a writ of certiorari is granted.