JUSTICIARY COURT in Scotland. The High Court of Justiciary is the stspeame criminal court in Scotland. It consists of the lord festive general, lord justice clerk, and fire other judges of the Court of Semies, and sits at Edinburgh, from time to time during the year, the extent of business to be transacted. Offences com mitted in Edinburgh and within the district of the Lothians are tried before this court, and In macs where in other parts of the country waiting for the next Circuit Court would create too much delay, or where there is any other ground of expediency, the trial may proceed before the Cenunl Court. Other trials in the provinces proceed before the circuit courts, which are held in spring and autumn, each by two judges, or as they are termed Lords Cotnmbsionens of Justiciary. The southern circuit is held at Jedburgh, Ayr, and Dumfries; the western, at Glasgow, Inverary, and Stirling ; and the northern at Perth, Aberdeen. and Inverness. An additional circuit is held at Glasgow in winter. Questions may be certlbn1 from the circuit courts to the High Court of Justiciary, that is to say, before being decided the matter may be reserved for the consideration of that court. But it
is • peculiarity both of the central and circuit courts of Justiciary, that no decision once given can be reconsidered either by the court pro nouacing it or a Court of Review. This principle is liable to many objections ; and le productive of but one benefit, that no trial is thrown away by the subsequent discovery of flaws in initial procedure. Before the case goes to a jury, a judgment is pronounced " finding the indictment relevant," and virtually declaring the initial procedure regular; that the charge is properly laid, and the offence if proved punishable. Any objections to the regularity of the proceedings must therefore be stated before judgment, which when once pronounced is final. All cams before the Court of Justiciary are tried by a jury of fifteen, a majority returning the verdict where they are not unanimous. It has jurisdiction in all the more serious offences except high treason, which can only be tried under a commission of Oyer and Terminer, in which English judges would now probably be included.