High Court of Justiciary

High Court of Justiciary
File:High Court of Justiciary logo.svg Royal Coat of Arms in Scotland
Established	1672
Location	Parliament House, Edinburgh
Composition method	Appointed by Monarch with name presented by the First Minister of Scotland following the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland
Authorised by	Act of Parliament of Scotland
Appeals to	None
Judge term length	ad vitam aut culpam
Number of positions	34
Website	www.scotcourts.gov.uk
Lord Justice General
Currently	Colin Sutherland, Lord Carloway
Since	18 December 2015
Lord Justice Clerk
Currently	Vacant
Since	18 December 2015

The High Court of Justiciary is the supreme criminal court of Scotland.

The High Court is both a court of first instance and a court of appeal. As a court of first instance, the High Court sits mainly in Parliament House, or in the former Sheriff Court building, in Edinburgh, or in its own court buildings in Glasgow and Aberdeen. However it sometimes sits in various smaller towns in Scotland, when it borrows the local Sheriff Court building. As a court of appeal, it sits only in Edinburgh.

The High Court of Justiciary has also sat once outside Scotland, at Zeist in the Netherlands during the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial, as the Scottish Court in the Netherlands.

Judges

The individuals who sit in the High Court often hold a seat simultaneously in Scotland's civil court system.

The judges of the High Court are the same ones who sit in the Court of Session, Scotland's supreme civil court. The Court of Session's Lord President is also the High Court's Lord Justice General. The Lord Justice Clerk holds his or her office in both courts. The remaining judges are referred to as Lords Commissioners of Justiciary in the context of the High Court, and Lords of Council and Session or Senators of the College of Justice in the context of the Court of Session.

First instance jurisdiction

When sitting as a court of first instance, that is, when hearing a case for the first time rather than on appeal, a single Lord Commissioner of Justiciary usually presides (although two or more judges may sit in important or difficult cases) with a jury of fifteen individuals. Under the Scottish legal system, the jury need not return a unanimous verdict; a majority verdict may also be used. The Scottish legal system also permits a verdict of 'not proven' as well as verdicts of 'guilty' or 'not guilty'.

The High Court has jurisdiction over all crimes in Scotland unless restricted by statute. In practice, however, the High Court generally deals with crimes, such as murder and rape, in which it has exclusive jurisdiction, as well as other serious crimes.

Appellate jurisdiction

High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh

Court entrance the High Court of Justiciary situated at the Saltmarket in Glasgow

Appeals may be made to the High Court of Justiciary sitting as the Court of Criminal Appeal from the lower courts in criminal cases. An appeal may also be made to the High Court if the High Court itself heard the case at first instance. Two judges sit to hear an appeal against sentence, and three judges sit to hear an appeal against conviction.

There is no further appeal from the High Court's decision on appeal. Appellants who still wish to pursue their appeal may petition the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, who have the authority to refer an appeal back to the High Court if they determine that a miscarriage of justice has occurred.

History and founding

The High Court was founded in 1672, but its origins derive from the College of Justice, as well as from the medieval royal courts and barony courts. The medieval Justiciar (royal judge) took its name from the justices who originally travelled around Scotland hearing cases on circuit or 'ayre'. From 1524, the Justiciar or a deputy was required to have a "permanent base" in Edinburgh, and as such the College of Justice was established in Edinburgh in 1532.

Trivia

It is a common superstitious practice for advocates with business in the Court of Criminal Appeal and passing law students, to touch the toe of the Baron David Hume statue, which sits outside the Lawnmarket court buildings, for good luck.

See also

• William Roughead, between 1889 and 1949 attended every murder trial of significance held in the Court.
• Courts of Scotland
• List of Senators of the College of Justice
• List of leading Scottish legal cases
• Lord Advocate's Reference
• Scottish Court in the Netherlands

External links

• High Court of Justiciary