Lyon Office
| Court of the Lord Lyon | |
|---|---|
The arms of office of the Lord Lyon King of Arms
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| Established | 1532 |
| Jurisdiction | Scotland |
| Location | Edinburgh |
| Coordinates | 59°57′14″N 3°11′24″W / 59.954°N 3.190°WCoordinates: 59°57′14″N 3°11′24″W / 59.954°N 3.190°W |
| Composition method | Appointed by Monarch of the United Kingdom |
| Authorized by | Lyon King of Arms Act 1592 and subsequent statues |
| Decisions are appealed to |
Civil: Inner House of the Court of Session |
| Website | http://www.lyon-court.com/ |
| Lord Lyon King of Arms | |
| Currently | Dr Joseph Morrow QC |
| Since | 17 January 2014 |
Civil: Inner House of the Court of Session
The Court of the Lord Lyon (the Lyon Court) is a standing court of law which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, as well as records of genealogies.
The Lyon Court is a public body, and the fees for grants of arms are paid to HM Treasury. It is headed by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, who must be legally qualified, as he has criminal jurisdiction in heraldic matters, and the court is fully integrated into the Scottish legal system, including having a dedicated prosecutor, known in Scotland as a procurator fiscal.
Its equivalent in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, in terms of awarding arms is the College of Arms, which is a royal corporation and not a court of law. The High Court of Chivalry is a civil court in England and Wales with jurisdiction over cases dealing with heraldry.
The Lyon Court is directly responsible for the establishment of the rights to arms and pedigree. These can include the granting and regranting of armorial bearings by Letters Patent and various Birthbrieves, such as Diplomas of Nobility or of the Chiefship (Diploma Stemmatis). All of these actions must begin with a formal petition to the Court.
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