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]