Justiciary Court

Justiciary Court, the highest criminal court in Scotland. Its judges are, since 1887, the judges of the Court of Session (q.v.) ; formerly there used to be but seven justiciary lords, five of them appointed by patent. It sits usually in Edinburgh, but also holds circuit-courts twice a year in a number of towns, four times at Perth, Dundee, and Aberdeen, and six times in Glasgow, the kingdom being divided for that purpose into three divisions or circuits. The jurisdiction embraces all crimes whatever ; and it is an appellate court as regards inferior criminal tribunals. Its decisions are final, there being no appeal to the House of Lords.