What is the consequence of a complaint lacking jurisdiction?

When a complaint lacks jurisdiction, it means that the court or agency does not have the legal authority to hear the case based on the facts and the law. Consequently, the appropriate and often necessary response is to dismiss the complaint. Dismissal occurs because a court cannot proceed with a case it is not empowered to address; continuing would contravene established legal principles regarding jurisdiction.

The other choices do not accurately reflect the implications of a lack of jurisdiction. Elevating a complaint suggests it could be moved to a different court or level of authority, which is not applicable when jurisdiction is not established from the outset. Review of the complaint is a process related to determining the merits of a case, which cannot happen if jurisdiction is absent. Lastly, stating that the complaint will always be investigated is misleading, as a lack of jurisdiction means it might not even warrant such an evaluation. Hence, the natural consequence of a jurisdictional issue is the dismissal of the complaint.