inherent power
Defined in 4 dictionaries — Case Law, Cyclopedic (1922), Bouvier (1914), Black's (1910)
Definitions from Case Law
From 370 U.S. 626 - Link v. Wabash Railroad · 1962Most cited · 7,602 citing opinions
The authority of a court to dismiss sua sponte for lack of prosecution has generally been considered an 'inherent power,' governed not by rule or statute but by the control necessarily vested in courts to manage their own affairs so as to achieve the orderly and expeditious disposition of cases.
The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary
Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922
An authority possessed without its being derived from another; a right, ability, or faculty of doing a thing, without receiving that right, ability, or faculty from another.
Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia
John Bouvier; revised by Francis Rawle · 1914
An autliority possessed without its being derived from another. A right, ability, or faculty of doing a thing, without receiving that right, ability, or faculty from another.
Black's Law Dictionary
Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910