Secular JURISDICTION belongs to the king and his justices or delegates. The courts and judges at Westminster have jurisdiction all over England, and are not restrained to any county or place; but all other courts are confined to their particular jurisdiction, which if they exceed, whatever they do is erroneous. There are three sorts of inferior jurisdictions; the first is tenere placita, to hold pleas, and the plaintiff may sue either there or in the king's courts. Another is the conuance of pleas, where a right is invested in the lord of the franchise to hold pleas: and he is the only person that can take advantage of it, by claiming his franchise. The third sort is an exempt jurisdiction, as where the king grants to some city, that the inhabitants shall be sued within their city, and not elsewhere; though there is no jurisdiction that can withstand a certiorari to the superior courts.