(a) The Supreme Court may reverse, vacate or modify judgments of the district court for errors appearing on the record, and in the reversal of such judgment may reverse, vacate or modify any intermediate order involving the merits of the action, or any portion thereof.
§ 952.Jurisdiction of Supreme Court
Chapter 15: Appeal and Error · Last amended January 13, 1969 · Last verified August 3, 2026
In one sentenceSection 952 defines the Oklahoma Supreme Court's civil appellate jurisdiction over district court rulings, covering final orders on the record, plus a specific list of interlocutory orders — including injunctions, new-trial rulings, and certified orders a trial judge finds appeal-worthy.
Full Text of § 952
(b) The Supreme Court may reverse, vacate or modify any of the following orders of the district court, or a judge thereof:
1. A final order;
2. An order that discharges, vacates or modifies or refuses to vacate or modify a provisional remedy which affects the substantial rights of a party; or grants, refuses, vacates, modifies or refuses to vacate or modify an injunction; grants or refuses a new trial; or vacates or refuses to vacate a final judgment;
3. Any other order, which affects a substantial part of the merits of the controversy when the trial judge certifies that an immediate appeal may materially advance the ultimate termination of the litigation; provided, however, that the Supreme Court, in its discretion, may refuse to hear the appeal. If the Supreme Court assumes jurisdiction of the appeal, it shall indicate in its order whether the action in the trial court shall be stayed or shall continue.
The failure of a party to appeal from an order that is appealable under either subdivision 2 or 3 of subsection (b) of this section shall not preclude him from asserting error in the order after the judgment or final order is rendered.
Amendment History
R.L. 1910, § 5236; Amended by Laws 1955, HB 661, p. 135, § 1; Amended by Laws 1968, SB 539, c. 290, § 1, eff. 1/13/1969.
Plain-English Summary
Subsection (a) gives the Supreme Court authority to reverse, vacate, or modify a district court judgment for errors appearing on the record, and to reach back and undo any intermediate order bound up in the merits of the case.
Subsection (b) then lists which district court orders the Supreme Court can review on their own, before a final judgment: any final order; an order that grants, denies, or alters an injunction, a new trial, or another provisional remedy affecting a party's substantial rights; and, more broadly, any other order touching a substantial part of the merits, if the trial judge certifies that an immediate appeal could speed up the case's end — though the Supreme Court can still decline to hear it. Skipping an appeal available under either of the last two categories doesn't waive the right to raise that same error later, once judgment is final.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can the Oklahoma Supreme Court review under Section 952?
District court judgments for errors on the record, plus a specific list of orders — final orders, orders on injunctions or new trials, and other substantial-merits orders a trial judge certifies for immediate appeal.
What is a certified interlocutory appeal under this section?
Under subsection (b)(3), a trial judge can certify that an order touching a substantial part of the case's merits should be appealed right away because it may speed up the litigation's end; the Supreme Court still has discretion to refuse the appeal.
If I don't appeal an order under subsection (b), do I lose the right to challenge it later?
No — the section says failing to appeal an order available under paragraph 2 or 3 of subsection (b) doesn't stop a party from raising that error after final judgment.
Can the Supreme Court undo more than the specific order being appealed?
Yes, under subsection (a) it may reverse, vacate, or modify any intermediate order bound up in the merits of the action when it reverses the judgment.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature.
Last verified August 3, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: Oklahoma Supreme Court appellate jurisdiction statute12 O.S. § 952certified interlocutory appeal Oklahomaappeal from order granting new trial Oklahoma