Cite as 360 Ark. 528 (2005)
we will review a lower court's construction de novo. Id. We are not bound by the decision of the circuit court; however, in the absence of ashowing that the circuit court erred in its interpretation of the law, that interpretation will be accepted as correct on appeal. Id. Language of a constitutional provision that is plain and unambiguous must be given its obvious and common meaning. Smith, supra; Worth v. City of Rogers, 341 Ark. 12, 14 S.W.3d 471 (2000); Daniel v. Jones, 332 Ark. 489, 966 S.W.2d 226 (1998). Neither rules of construction nor rules of interpretation may be used to defeat the clear and certain meaning of a constitutional provision: Id.
[3] As we previously stated:
The passage of Amendment 80 on November 7, 2000, was a watershed event in the history of the Judicial Department of this state. Jurisdictional lines that previously forced cases to be divided artificially and litigated separately in different courts have been eliminated. This fundamental change naturally bnngs with it a whole host of issues, both theoretical and practical, concerning tbe form and structure of our court system.
In Re Implem. of Amend. 80, 345 Ark. Appx. 664, 47 S.W.3d 262 (2001). Amendment 80 to the Arkansas Constitution merged the chancery and circuit courts. Summit Mall Co. v. Lemond, 355 Ark. 190, 211, 132 S.W.3d 725 (2003); United Food & Corn. Workers, Int. Union V. Wal-Mart, 353 Ark. 902, 120 S.W.3d 89 (2003). Section 6(A) of Amendment 80 to the Arkansas Constitution provides "Circuit Courts are established as the trial courts of original jurisdiction of all justiciable matters not otherwise assigned pursuant to this Constitution." As a consequence of Amendment 80, courts that were formerly chancery and circuit courts are now referred to as circuit courts. Id. Because Amendment 80 states that circuit courts assume the jurisdiction of chancery courts, circuit courts simply have added to their already existing jurisdiction as a court of law the equitable jurisdiction which chancery courts held prior to adoption of the Amendment. Ark. Prof'l Bail Bondsman Licensing Bd. v. Frawley, 350 Ark. 444, 453, 88 S.W.3d 418 (2002). In other words, no new or expanded jurisdiction beyond that formerly existing in the chancery and circuit courts was created through Amendment 80. Rather, circuit court junsdiction now includes all matters previously cognizable by circuit, chancery, probate, and juvenile court. See Amendment 80, § 19(B)(1), Administrative Order No. 14, §§ 1(a) and (b), 344 Ark. Appx. 747–48 (2001). See also Moore v. Sipes, 85 Ark. App. 15, 106 S.W.3d 903 (2004)
