Lord President of the Court of Session Lord Justice General |
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Style | The Right Honourable |
Appointer | Monarch on the advice of the First Minister |
Term length | Life tenure |
The Lord President of the Court of Session is the most senior judge in Scotland, the head of the judiciary, and the presiding judge of the College of Justice and the Court of Session. The Lord President is also the Lord Justice General of Scotland and the head of the High Court of Justiciary, the two offices having been combined in 1836. The Lord President has authority over any court established under Scots law, except for the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
The office of Lord Justice General is derived from the justiciars who were appointed from at least the twelfth century. From around 1567 onwards it was held heritably by the Earl of Argyll until the heritability was resigned to the Crown in 1607.
The current Lord President of the Court of Session is Lord Carloway, who was appointed to the position on 18 December 2015.
In Scotland the Official Oath is taken before the Lord President of the Court of Session.
(called Lord Chief Justices by Scot of Scotstarvet).
MP for Tain Burghs (1742–1747);
Lord Advocate (1742–1746)