Jurisdiction

--- Questions of jurisdiction go to the root of the matter; any order passed without lawful authority or coram non judice is void ab initio and cannot be sustained irrespective of the merits of the underlying claim.

--- An order suffering from a patent lack of jurisdiction is a nullity in the eye of the law and cannot attain finality merely because an alternate remedy has been invoked or exhausted.

--- Jurisdictional defect --- Scope --- An order declining to entertain a matter on limitation does not amount to an affirmation of the impugned order on merits, nor does it cure an inherent jurisdictional defect, if any, in the original proceedings.

--- Art. 10-A --- Right to fair trial --- Jurisdiction --- Scope --- A court cannot issue any order, judgment, or exercise an authority in a matter unless it is legally competent to adjudicate upon it --- Jurisdiction is a foundational issue that must be determined at the very beginning of any proceeding and the court that is authorized to render a final judgment or order on the lis is the one vested with the competence to adjudicate it --- This is because the legitimacy and finality of any judgment depend on whether the bench delivering it had the lawful authority to do so --- Such jurisdictional certainty is essential not only for the validity of judicial decisions but also for safeguarding the right to a fair trial under Article 10-A and for ensuring due process.