High Court of Justiciary | |
---|---|
Established | 1672 |
Country | Scotland |
Number of positions | 36 |
Website | www.scotcourts.gov.uk |
Lord Justice General (chief judge) | |
Currently | Lord Carloway |
The High Court of Justiciary is the most powerful criminal court in Scotland.[1] It can hear a case that has been appealed (where one of the people involved think a case has been decided wrongly), or if it is a serious case it can be the first court to hear it. When hearing a case that has been appealed, it is sometimes called the Court of Criminal Appeal.[2]
It has 36 judges, who are called Lord Commissioners of Justiciary. They are also judges for the Court of Session. The chief judge is called the Lord Justice General, and is also always the chief judge for the Court of Session, where he is called the Lord President. His deputy is called the Lord Justice Clerk.
When it is the first court to hear a case, it can sit in a number of locations. Its permanent locations are in Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, but it also sits in other towns and cities. When it hears a case appealed, it can only sit in Edinburgh.