General Council of Scotland facts for kids

The General Council was an important group in medieval Scotland, a bit like a sister to the main parliament. It existed from the late 1300s to the early 1500s. Historians often study the General Council and the parliament together because they were very similar.

What Was the General Council?

The General Council was a meeting of important people in Scotland. It was a lot like the parliament, but there were a few key differences. One main difference was that it could be called together much faster. Parliament usually needed at least 40 days' notice before it met. The General Council could be called with less warning.

How Was it Different from Parliament?

Another difference was that the General Council was not a final court for very serious issues. For example, it couldn't make final decisions about someone losing their property for breaking very important rules against the king. The parliament, which was a higher court, handled those kinds of big decisions.

What Could the General Council Do?

Even though it wasn't a final court, the General Council was still very powerful. It could raise money for the country, which we call taxation. It also made important laws, just like the parliament did. These laws were just as important as those made by the parliament.

Why Was the General Council Used?

The General Council was often used when the king was too young to rule or couldn't rule for some reason. For example, it was very active during the reigns of kings like Robert II and Robert III. It was also important when James I was held captive from 1406 to 1424. It played a big role during much of the time when James II was a child, from 1437 to 1445.

The End of the General Council

During the reign of James III, the General Council started to be used less often. Even when James III was young, between 1466 and 1470, it wasn't called much. This might be because its records were kept separately and later got lost. The General Councils completely stopped being held during the time of James IV. Soon after, a new type of meeting called the Convention of Estates began.

See also

• List of parliaments of Scotland (includes General Councils)