Heritable jurisdictions, in the law of Scotland, grants, of jurisdiction made to a man and his heirs.
They were a usual accompaniment to feudal tenures, and the power which they conferred on great families, being recognized as a source of danger to the state, led to frequent attempts being made by statute to restrict them, both before and after the Union. They were all abolished in 1746.
Last updated: 05-31-2005 06:13:33