<P> The original jurisdiction of a court is the power to hear a case for the first time, as opposed to appellate jurisdiction, when a higher court has the power to review a lower court's decision . </P> <P> The lowest civil court of France, the tribunal de première instance (literally, "Court of First Instance"), has original jurisdiction over most civil matters except areas of specialist exclusive jurisdiction, those being mainly land estates, business and consumer matters, social security, and labor . All criminal matters may pass summarily through the lowest criminal court, the tribunal de police, but each court has both original and limited jurisdiction over certain separate levels of offences: </P> <Ul> <Li> juge de proximité ("Magistrate Court"): petty misdemeanors and violations; </Li> <Li> tribunal de police ("Police Court"): gross misdemeanors or summary offences (jurisdiction); </Li> <Li> tribunal correctionnel ("Criminal Court"): felonies or indictable offences generally; </Li> <Li> cour d'assises ("Court of Sessions"): capital and first - degree felonies or major indictable offences, high crimes, crimes against the State . </Li> </Ul> <Li> juge de proximité ("Magistrate Court"): petty misdemeanors and violations; </Li>

The supreme court has original jurisdiction over cases involving ambassadors