The Lord President of the Court of Session is head of the judiciary in Scotland, and presiding judge (and Senator) of the College of Justice and Court of Session, as well as being Lord Justice General of Scotland and head of the High Court of Justiciary, the offices having been combined in 1836. The Lord President has authority over any court established under Scots law except for the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
The office of Lord Justice General is derived from the justiciars who were appointed from the twelfth century (or even earlier). From around 1567 it was held heritably by the Earl of Argyll until the heritability was resigned to the Crown in 1607. Scotstarvet lists it as a Great Officer of State in his famous treatise of 1754.
The current Lord President, Lord Gill, was sworn in on 11 June 2012. His deputy is Lord Carloway, the Lord Justice Clerk.
In Scotland the Official Oath is taken before the Lord President of the Court of Session. In England that role is performed by the Clerk of the Privy Council.
Read more about Lord President Of The Court Of Session: Officeholders
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