Welcome to Scottish Courts

About Scottish Courts

The Scottish court system is the system of courts that administer justice in Scotland, which has a separate legal system from the rest of the United Kingdom. The court system is divided into three main levels: the Sheriff Court, the High Court of Justiciary, and the Court of Session.

-The Sheriff Court is the main criminal and civil court in Scotland. It has jurisdiction over a wide range of criminal and civil cases, including minor criminal offenses, civil disputes, and some family law matters. There are 49 Sheriff Courts in Scotland, each with a local Sheriff Principal who is responsible for the administration of the court.

-The High Court of Justiciary is the highest criminal court in Scotland and has jurisdiction over serious criminal cases, including murder, treason and some drug offenses. This court sits in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

-The Court of Session is the highest civil court in Scotland and has jurisdiction over civil matters such as commercial disputes, personal injury claims, and some family law matters. It sits in Edinburgh and is divided into two divisions: the Outer House and the Inner House.

-The Scottish court system also includes the Scottish Land Court, which deals with disputes related to land and crofting, and the Court of the Lord Lyon, which deals with heraldry and the use of coats of arms in Scotland.

-The Scottish court system also includes the Scottish tribunals system, which deals with a wide range of issues such as tax, social security, and housing. The Scottish court system follows the principle of the adversarial system, in which the court acts as an impartial arbiter between the prosecution and the defense, and operates on the principle of the "not guilty until proven otherwise."

-The Scottish court system is independent of the Scottish government and is headed by the Lord President of the Court of Session, who is also the Lord Justice General of Scotland.

About Scottish Courts

The Scottish court system is made up of several different types of courts, each with their own jurisdiction and responsibilities. The highest court in Scotland is the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, which is located in London but also sits in Edinburgh. The next highest court is the Court of Session, which is the principal civil court in Scotland and deals with civil cases, including those involving commercial disputes, personal injury claims, and other matters. The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court in Scotland and deals with criminal cases. The sheriff courts, which are located throughout Scotland, deal with both civil and criminal cases, and handle the majority of the cases that come before the Scottish courts. These courts are divided in two jurisdictions : the criminal and the civil. The criminal jurisdiction has the power to try criminal cases, including serious crimes such as murder, and the civil jurisdiction deals with civil cases, including disputes between individuals and organizations.