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.]
