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The Senators of the College of Justice in Scotland are judges of the College of Justice, a set of legal institutions involved in the administration of justice in Scotland. There are three types of senator: Lords of Session (judges of the Court of Session); Lords Commissioners of Justiciary (judges of the High Court of Justiciary); and the Chairman of the Scottish Land Court. Whilst the High Court and Court of Session historically maintained separate judiciary, these are now identical, and the term Senator is almost exclusively used in referring to the judges of these courts.

Senators of the college use the judicial courtesy title of Lord or Lady along with a surname or a territorial name. Note, however, that some senators have a peerage title, which would be used instead of the senatorial title. All senators of the college have the honorific, The Honourable, before their titles, while those who are also privy counsellors or peers have the honorific, The Right Honourable. Senators are made privy counsellors upon promotion to the Inner House.

Under section 11 of the Treason Act 1708, it is treason to kill a Senator of the College of Justice "sitting in Judgment in the Exercise of their Office within Scotland".

History

Henry Lauder, Lord St Germains, King's Advocate, was one of the nine advocates appointed at the institution of the College of Justice.

Originally, some officers of state were included as senators, including the Lord Advocate, Lord Clerk Register, Master of Requests and the Secretary of State.

List of senators

The Court of Session Act 1988, when enacted, limited the number of senators of the College of Justice (aside from the chairman of the Scottish Land Court, who ranks as a senator) to 24. This was subsequently increased to 25 in 1991, 27 in 1993, 32 in 1999, 34 in 2004, 35 in 2016, and most recently 36 by The Maximum Number of Judges (Scotland) Order 2022. The current judges are as follows.

Inner House

The Lord President is the president of the First Division, and the Lord Justice Clerk is the president of the Second Division.

Outer House

Retired judges

There are also some retired judges who still sit occasionally in the Court of Session or the Court of Criminal Appeal to hear cases if needed when there is a shortage of available judges. They are also called senators of the College of Justice. As of 2022, 7 retired judges are available to sit as judges:

See also

• Historic list of senators of the College of Justice
• Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
• List of judges of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales
• List of High Court judges of England and Wales

Notes

References

1. Dalrymple of Hailes, Bt., Sir David, An Historical Account of the Senators of the College of Justice of Scotland from its Institution, Edinburgh, 1849, p.63.
2. Court of Session Act 1988, s. 1.
3. The Maximum Number of Judges (Scotland) Order 1991.
4. The Maximum Number of Judges (Scotland) Order 1993.
5. The Maximum Number of Judges (Scotland) Order 1999.
6. The Maximum Number of Judges (Scotland) Order 2004.
7. Scottish Parliament. The Maximum Number of Judges (Scotland) Order 2016 as made, from legislation.gov.uk.
8. The Maximum Number of Judges (Scotland) Order 2022.
9. "Senators of the College of Justice". Judiciary of Scotland. Retrieved 22 November 2022.

External links

• Biographies of Senators

v t e Court of Session
Head of the judiciary	Lord President of the Court of Session
Other judges	Lord Justice Clerk Senators of the College of Justice (Women • Historic) Lord Ordinary
Divisions	Inner House Outer House
Administration	Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service Office of the Accountant of Court Principal Clerk of Session and Justiciary Faculty of Advocates
Officers of Court	Advocates Solicitor-advocates Writers to the Signet Messengers-at-Arms
Officers of Court	Society of Solicitors in the Supreme Courts of Scotland Society of Writers to His Majesty's Signet
Buildings	Parliament House, Edinburgh

v t e Current Senators of the College of Justice
Senior Judiciary	Lord President: Lord Carloway Lord Justice Clerk: Lady Dorrian Chairman of the Scottish Land Court: Lord Duthie
Inner House	1st division: Lord Pentland Lord Doherty Lord Tyre Lady Wise Lord Clark 2nd division: Lady Paton Lord Malcolm Lord Matthews Lord Armstrong Lord Beckett
Outer House	Lord Brailsford Lord Ericht Lady Carmichael Lord Mulholland Lord Summers Lord Arthurson Lord Fairley Lady Poole Lord Harrower Lord Weir Lord Braid Lord Sandison Lady Haldane Lord Richardson Lady Drummond Lord Young Lord Lake Lord Scott Lord Stuart Lord Colbeck Lord Cubie Lady Hood Lord Renucci Lady Ross
Historic list of Senators of the College of Justice

v t e High Court of Justiciary
Chief justice	Lord Justice General
Other judges	Lord Justice Clerk Lords Commissioners of Justiciary
Administration	Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service Principal Clerk of Session and Justiciary
Other Officers	Advocates Solicitor-advocates Writers to the Signet Society of Solicitors in the Supreme Courts of Scotland
Buildings	Justiciary Building, Edinburgh Justiciary Buildings, Glasgow

• Senators of the College of Justice
• Judiciary of Scotland
• College of Justice
• Lists of judges in Scotland