“Under the old diligence of apprising, directed against heritable rights, the messenger executing the diligence held his court in the head borough of the shire where the lands lay, but afterwards it became the practice to hold these courts in Edinburgh as communis patria to all Scotland.” John Trayner, Trayner’s Latin Maxims 86 (4th ed. 1894).
communis patria
communis patria (k[schwa]-myoo-nis pay-tree-[schwa]). [Law Latin] Hist. The common country; a place deemed home to all.