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Scots law This article is part of the series: Courts of Scotland

Administration Scottish Executive Justice Department Minister for Justice Scottish Court Service College of Justice

Civil courts Privy Council House of Lords Court of Session Lord President Lords of Session Sheriff Court Sheriff

Criminal courts High Court of Justiciary Lord Justice-General Lords Commissioner of Justiciary Sheriff Court Sheriff Principal Sheriff District Court Justice of the Peace

Special courts Court of the Lord Lyon Lord Lyon King of Arms Children's Hearings

Criminal justice Lord Advocate Crown Office Advocate Depute Procurator Fiscal

Advocates and solicitors Faculty of Advocates Advocate Law Society of Scotland Solicitor-Advocate Solicitor

The Scottish Court Service is an executive agency of the Scottish Executive responsible for the administration the of the Court system in Scotland. The Service was created in 1995 by the Scottish Office

In common with the Scottish Prison Service in the Scottish justice system this at arm's length approach is adopted to prevent direct ministerial involvement in the administration of justice. It should be noted that Scotland's prosecution service the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service is headed by the Lord Advocate is who is a member of the Scottish Executive but not an elected Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP).

The Service is also responsible for the administration of the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) based in Falkirk.

The Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Bill, which was passed by the Scottish Parliament in January 2007, will result in the unification of the Supreme, Sheriff and District courts. The Scottish Court Service will be responsible for the administration of the unified court structure. It is anticipated that the transfer of District Court functions (currently the responsibility of local government) will take place on a regional basis over a period of several years.

The Service is headed by a Chief Executive and a management board who take day to day responsibility for the running of the Service. The management board are accountable to the Minister for Justice and the two Justice Committees of the Scottish Parliament.

The Service employs over 1000 staff members in Scotland's 49 Sheriff Courts, the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary, and at the Service's HQ in Edinburgh.

The Service's main responsibility is to support the Scottish Judiciary. The Judiciary consists of the Senators of the College of Justice (incorporating the Court of Session and the High Court of Justiciary) and several hundred sheriffs and sheriffs principal who are spread throughout the country.

The Court staff will in one day deal with everything from a Murder Trial in the High Court to a Divorce case in the Sheriff Court.

• Scots law
• High Court of Justiciary
• Court of Session
• Sheriff Court
• Her Majesty's Courts Service (for England and Wales)
• Northern Ireland Court Service

• Scottish Court Service
• Office of the Public Guardian
• Scottish Executive
• Scottish Parliament