View source for High Court of Constabulary

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox court
|court_name       = High Court of Constabulary
|image            = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (Government in Scotland).svg
|imagesize        = 110px
|caption          = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom as used by the Courts in Scotland
|image2           = 
|imagesize2       = 
|caption2         =
|established      = 13th century
|jurisdiction     = Within 4 miles of the [[official residence]] of the [[Monarch of Scotland|Monarch]], [[Privy Council of Scotland|Privy Council]], and [[Parliament of Scotland|Parliament]] of [[Scotland]]
|location         = <!-- city --> 
|coordinates      = <!-- {{coord|45.000|-122.000|display=inline,title}} --> 
|motto            =  
|type             = Deputes appointed by [[Lord High Constable of Scotland]] 
|authority        = <!-- constitution/statute/monarch--> 
|appealsto        = <!-- appeals from this court go where -->
|appealsfrom      = <!-- appeals from what other courts are heard by this -->
|positions        = <!-- number of positions/seats on court -->
|budget           = <!-- amount of annual budget -->
|website          = <!-- official website -->
|chiefjudgetitle  = [[Lord High Constable of Scotland]] 
|chiefjudgename   = 
|termstart        = <!-- year current chief became chief -->
|termend          = <!-- year term for current chief as chief ends, if applicable -->
}}
The '''High Court of Constabulary''' was a [[courts of Scotland|court]] in [[Scotland]] presided over by the [[Lord High Constable of Scotland]] and other [[judge]]s known as Constables-depute. The court had [[exclusive jurisdiction]] over crimes of [[riot]]ing, disorder, [[Violent crime|bloodshed]], and [[murder]] that took place within {{convert|4|mi}} of the [[Monarch of Scotland]], [[Privy Council of Scotland]], or the [[Parliament of Scotland]]. It was established in the 13th century, and its ''[[de jure]]'' jurisdiction continued until at least the 19th century. From the 16th century the Constables-depute appear to have been the [[Lord Provost of Edinburgh|Lord Provosts]], [[bailie]]s, and [[Sheriff of Edinburgh|Sheriffs]] of [[Edinburgh]]. Following the [[Treaty of Union]] of 1707, the Court had jurisdiction when the [[List of British monarchs|Monarch of Great Britain]], and later the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Monarch of the United Kingdom]], was resident at the [[Palace of Holyrood House]].

==History==
Much of the history belonging to the High Court of Constabulary comes from records kept by the [[Earl of Erroll|Earls of Erroll]], who hold the position of Lord High Constable as a hereditary right. However, the burgh magistrates  (the [[Lord Provost of Edinburgh|Lord Provost]] and [[bailie]]s) of [[Edinburgh]] appear to have objected to the jurisdiction of the Constabulary Court, and from the 16th century it appears that the Earls of Erroll appointed the burgh magistrates as Constables-depute. The Lord High Constable continued to claim his jurisdiction into the 19th century, and from then the [[Sheriff of Edinburgh]] and the burgh magistrates of Edinburgh were appointed as Constables-depute whenever the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|Monarch of the United Kingdom]] was resident at the [[Palace of Holyroodhouse]].<ref name="stair_20_XXX">{{Cite book|last=Dickinson|first=W Croft|date=1953|title=Courts of Special Jurisdiction: An Introduction to Scottish Legal History|url=http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.stair/staisom0021&collection=stair&id=414&startid=&endid=425|publisher=Stair Society |volume=20|pages=396–397|via=HeinOnline}}</ref>

==Remit and jurisdiction==
Established in the late 13th century the Court was empowered to judge all cases of [[riot]]ing, disorder, [[Violent crime|bloodshed]], and [[murder]] if such crimes occurred within four miles of the [[King of Scots]], the King's Council, or the [[Parliament of Scotland]]. Following [[James I of England|James VI]]'s move to [[England]], the [[jurisdiction]] of the Lord High Constable was defined in terms of the "resident place" appointed for the Council.<ref name="electricscotland">{{cite web|title=Historic Earls and Earldoms of Scotland - Chapter IV - Earldom and Earls of Erroll - Section II|url=http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/earldoms/chapter4s2.htm|website=www.electricscotland.com|publisher=Electric Scotland|accessdate=22 April 2017}}</ref><ref name="juridicalreview">{{cite journal|last1=Hannay|first1=R.K.|title=Observations on the Officers of the Scottish Parliament|journal=Juridical Review|date=1932|volume=44|issue=125|pages=125–138}}</ref> {{rp|128}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.electricscotland.com/webclans/earldoms/chapter4s2.htm Historic Earls and Earldoms of Scotland: Chapter IV - Earldom and Earls of Erroll]

{{CourtsScotland2}}

[[Category:13th-century establishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:Courts of Scotland]]
[[Category:Courts and tribunals established in the 13th century]]


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