Jurisdictional facts must exist as condition precedent for limited jurisdiction tribunals to exercise legal power

A jurisdictional fact refers to a particular state of affairs that must exist for a tribunal to have jurisdiction over a matter. According to legal precedent, when jurisdiction depends on specific circumstances, those circumstances are preliminary or collateral to the main issue. If jurisdiction is challenged at the outset, the tribunal must determine whether to proceed and can rule on the preliminary matter, though such ruling is not conclusive. The existence of jurisdictional fact serves as a sine qua non or condition precedent for courts of limited jurisdiction to exercise their power.

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