Court of Session
Preserved but no longer current.
The supreme civil tri- bunal in Scotland. It dates from 1532, and represents the united powers of the Session of James I of Scotland, the Daily Council of James IV, and the Lords Auditors of Parlia- ment. Since 1830 it has consisted of an Inner and an Outer House; the total number of judges is thirteen, including the Lord President (or Lord Justice General) and the Lord Justice Clerk.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Court of Session” mean?
The supreme civil tri- bunal in Scotland. It dates from 1532, and represents the united powers of the Session of James I of Scotland, the Daily Council of James IV, and the Lords Auditors of Parlia- ment. Since 1830 it has consisted of an Inner and an Outer House; the total number of judges is thirteen, including the Lord President (or Lord Justice General) and the Lord Justice Clerk.
Is “Court of Session” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.