The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland and constitutes part of the College of Justice;the supreme criminal court of Scotland is the High Court of Justiciary. The Court of Session sits in Parliament House in Edinburgh and is both a trial court and a court of appeal. The court was established in 1532 by an Act of the Parliament of Scotland,and was initially presided over by the Lord Chancellor of Scotland and had equal numbers of clergy and laity. The judges were all appointed from the King's Council. As of May 2017,the Lord President was Lord Carloway,who was appointed on 19 December 2015,and the Lord Justice Clerk was Lady Dorrian,who was appointed on 13 April 2016.
William Douglas Cullen,Baron Cullen of Whitekirk,is a former senior member of the Scottish judiciary. He formerly served as Lord Justice General and Lord President of the Court of Session,and was an additional Lord of Appeal in the House of Lords prior to the transfer of its judicial functions to the Supreme Court.
Brian Gill,Lord Gill,is a retired Scottish judge and legal academic. He served as Lord President and Lord Justice General from June 2012 until May 2015. Gill previously served as Lord Justice Clerk from 2001 to 2012,and as Chairman of the Scottish Law Commission from 1996 to 2001. As an advocate,he practised principally in agricultural law and is the author of The Law of Agricultural Holdings in Scotland. In 2007–2009,Gill undertook a far-reaching review of the civil courts system in Scotland,recommending a shift of much of the workload of the Court of Session to Scotland's local sheriff courts.
Alan Ferguson Rodger,Baron Rodger of Earlsferry was a Scottish academic,lawyer,and Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
George Carlyle Emslie,Baron Emslie,was a Scottish judge.
Sir Thomas Miller,1st Baronet FRSE,known as Lord Barskimming (1766–88) and Lord Glenlee during his judicial service,was a Scottish advocate,judge,politician and landowner. He was a founder member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1783,and served as the society's first vice-president,1783 to 1786.
Ronald Iain Sutherland,Lord Sutherland is a Scottish former Senator of the College of Justice,having been appointed in 1985. Known as Lord Sutherland in the Court of Session and High Court of Justiciary,he sat in the First Division of the Inner House of the Court of Session.
Alastair Peter Campbell,Lord Bracadale is a retired senior Scottish judge.
Francis Mulholland,Lord Mulholland,is a Scottish judge who has been a Senator of the College of Justice since 2016. He previously served from 2011 to 2016 as Lord Advocate,one of the Great Officers of State of Scotland and the country's chief Law Officer,and as Solicitor General,the junior Law Officer.
Hugh Matthews,Lord Matthews is a Senator of the College of Justice,a judge of Scotland's Supreme Courts.
Stephen Errol Woolman,Lord Woolman,,is a Scottish legal academic,and a retired Senator of the College of Justice.
William Austin Nimmo Smith is a former Senator of the College of Justice,a judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland,sitting in the High Court of Justiciary and the Inner House of the Court of Session. He retired from this position on 30 September 2009.
Derek Robert Alexander Emslie,Lord Kingarth is a judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland,sitting in the High Court of Justiciary and the Inner House of the Court of Session. He is the son of former Lord President George Emslie,Baron Emslie,and younger brother of fellow judge Nigel Emslie,Lord Emslie,and older brother of rhino conservationist Dr Richard Emslie.
John Francis Wheatley,Lord Wheatley,PC is a Scottish lawyer and retired Senator of the College of Justice,a judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland,sitting in the High Court of Justiciary and the Inner House of the Court of Session. He is an authority on road traffic law. His father,John Wheatley,Baron Wheatley,was Lord Justice Clerk between 1972 and 1985,the second-most senior judge in Scotland.
Leeona June Dorrian,Lady DorrianPC,KC is a Scottish advocate and judge who has served as the Lord Justice Clerk since 2016. She is the first woman to hold the position. She has been a Senator of the College of Justice since 2005,having served as a temporary judge for three years prior.
Paul Benedict Cullen,Lord Pentland,is a former Solicitor General for Scotland,a Senator of the College of Justice and former Chairman of the Scottish Law Commission.
Duncan Adam Young Menzies,Lord Menzies,is a judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland. He was appointed to the Outer House of the Court of Session in 2001,and the Inner House in 2012.
Joseph Raymond Doherty,Lord Doherty,is a Scottish lawyer and Senator of the College of Justice,a judge of the Supreme Courts of Scotland.
The judiciary of Scotland are the judicial office holders who sit in the courts of Scotland and make decisions in both civil and criminal cases. Judges make sure that cases and verdicts are within the parameters set by Scots law,and they must hand down appropriate judgments and sentences. Judicial independence is guaranteed in law,with a legal duty on Scottish Ministers,the Lord Advocate and the Members of the Scottish Parliament to uphold judicial independence,and barring them from influencing the judges through any form of special access.
Andrew Fleming Stewart,Lord Ericht is a Scottish lawyer who was appointed in 2016 as a Senator of the College of Justice,a judge of the Court of Session.
