Senator of the College of Justice facts for kids

The Senators of the College of Justice in Scotland are important judges in Scotland. They work for the College of Justice, which is a group of legal bodies that help run the justice system in Scotland. These judges make sure laws are followed and disputes are settled fairly.

There are three main kinds of Senators:

• Lords of Session: These judges work in the Court of Session. This court handles civil cases, like disagreements over money or property.
• Lords Commissioners of Justiciary: These judges work in the High Court of Justiciary. This court deals with serious criminal cases.
• The Chairman of the Scottish Land Court: This judge handles special cases about land in Scotland.

Even though the High Court and Court of Session used to have different judges, now the same judges work for both. So, when people say "Senator," they usually mean a judge from these main courts.

When these judges are working, they use special titles like Lord or Lady followed by their last name or a place name. For example, you might hear "Lord Smith" or "Lady Edinburgh." Some judges might already have a noble title, which they would use instead. All Senators are called "The Honourable" before their title. If they are also a "privy counsellor" (a special advisor to the King or Queen), they are called "The Right Honourable". Judges become privy counsellors when they move to a higher part of the court called the Inner House.

It's a very serious crime, called treason, to harm a Senator of the College of Justice while they are doing their job in Scotland. This rule comes from a law made in 1708.

History of the Senators

The College of Justice was set up a long time ago. When it first started, some important government officials were also part of the group of Senators. For example, the Lord Advocate (Scotland's chief legal officer) and the Secretary of State used to be Senators.

One of the first nine lawyers chosen to be a Senator when the College of Justice began was Henry Lauder, Lord St Germains. He was also known as the King's Advocate.

Who are the Senators today?

The number of Senators has changed over the years. In 1988, there were 24 Senators (not including the Chairman of the Scottish Land Court). This number has grown over time. By 2022, there could be up to 36 Senators.

The Senators are divided into two main groups: the Inner House and the Outer House.

Inner House Judges

The Inner House handles appeals, meaning they review decisions made by other courts. It has two parts: the First Division and the Second Division.

• The Lord President of the Court of Session leads the First Division. They are also the Lord Justice General, who is the head of the Scottish criminal courts.
• The Lord Justice Clerk leads the Second Division.

These are the most senior judges in Scotland. There are currently 11 judges in the Inner House.

Outer House Judges

The Outer House is where cases are heard for the first time. These judges deal with a wide range of civil and criminal cases. There are currently 25 judges in the Outer House.

Retired Judges who still help

Sometimes, judges who have retired still help out. They can sit as judges in the Court of Session (for civil cases) or the Court of Criminal Appeal (for criminal appeals) if more judges are needed. These retired judges are also called Senators of the College of Justice. As of 2022, seven retired judges can still help hear cases.

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