Prairie View A&M University v. Diljit K. Chatha

“Jurisdiction” is a term of profound consequence. Without it, a court lacks the power of adjudication. With it, a court may bind parties to a judgment. In the past, Texas courts have used the term casually, calling statutory mandates “jurisdictional” without thinking critically about its technical meaning. Our recent attempts to define the term with greater precision suggest an outcome at odds with the Court’s disposition in this case. The Court’s holding today is a step backwards and, for that reason, I respectfully dissent.

The Court holds that Chatha’s complaint was untimely because the…