ANOMALOUS-JURISDICTION RULE

anomalous-jurisdiction rule (<<schwa>>-nom-<<schwa>>-l<<schwa>>s). The principle that

a court of appeals  has provisional jurisdiction  to review  the  denial of a  motion to intervene in a

case, and if the court of appeals finds that the denial was correct, then its jurisdiction disappears

— and it must dismiss the appeal for want of jurisdiction — because an order denying a motion to

intervene  is  not  a  final,  appealable  order.  •  This  rule  has  been  criticized  by  courts  and

commentators. Many appellate courts, upon finding that the trial court properly denied a motion to

intervene,  will  affirm  the  denial  instead  of  dismissing  the  appeal  for  want  of  jurisdiction.  —

Sometimes  shortened  to  anomalous  rule.  [Cases:  Appeal  and  Error    329,  782;  Federal  Courts

555, 587. C.J.S. Appeal and Error §§ 32, 241–242.] [Blacks Law 8th]