14 Feb y 1808

Lett VI.

Omissa & Facienda

1. No Reporting

1. Analogous practice

As to the first point - viz. no reporting - first let us [...?] what authority /custom/ says - under [...?] variety of [...?] names - practice, precedent, custom, usage. Introduced /Under favour of this Introduction/ by him or her Reason may stand some chance, howsoever faint, of the [...?] a hearing in the second place.

The practice thus marked for introduction is an abuse of which out of the Court of Session an example will surely[?] be to be found.

1. In the judicial establishment /system/ of Scotland it is without a parallel. Throughout the whole of the judicial establishment of Scotland to [...?] of the inferior judicatories is it allowed /permitted/ to decide a cause or send it off /up/ without decision as they please: not to the Sheriff Deputes Court[?] /not to the Sheriff Deputes[?] Substitutes Courts?/: not to the Borough Courts not to the decree of Guilds Courts, not to the [...?] Courts: not to the Commissioners Courts, natural or provisional: not to the Admiralty or Vice Admiralty Courts.

Among this, the Sheriff Deputes'[?] Courts claim particular notice. Like the Lord Ordinary's Courts, these are all single-seated judicatories.

Of the causes /suits/ instituted in the Court of Session, the greater part might have been instituted in the Sheriff's Court. Causes the same not only in specie[?] but in value as those which are instituted in the Court of Session may be and are in great abundance instituted in the Court of the Sheriff Depute. The /To a/ Sheriff Depute is not allowed to decide or not to decide, at /his/ pleasure, why should a Lord Ordinary?
Similar Items
  • Title: [12 May 1807 Scotch Reform Letter]
    Description: 12 May 1807

    Scotch Reform

    Letter VI

    Letter VI

    IV. Sheriffs Courts

    Speaking of the provincial Courts in Scotland (Lett.2), I spoke of it as a matter of peculiar[?] felicity to Scotland, peculiar[?], at least in contradistinction to England at least, to remain thus in possession of the necessary means for [...?] to every man his daily bread by the means /hand/ of daily justice.

    Here too /another point in which/ /this/ I have the satisfaction of finding /beholding/ my poor /weak/ opinion with its - I will /can/ not say weak

    reasons - I can only say weakly presented - reasons - supported by the authority of these 11 out of the 15 members of the highest Court of Scottish judicature "the jurisdiction (say they, (art. 21) "the jurisdiction and office of the Sheriffs Depute in Scotland, which undoubtedly" (continue they) "is one of the most valuable and beautiful parts of our system of administrative justice."

    Here is an [...?], my Lord, and a just one: and /but/ for what purpose is it brought forward? To this purpose and this only; viz: to make for the purpose of the moment the Sheriffs Court a bar to the introduction of the Jury box: for the allegation is "that this proposal" (the proposal (art. 20) to extend Jury trial to cases [...?] originally in the inferior Courts in Scotland) "would also to a great degree render useless the jurisdiction in office of the Sheriff's Depute", and so on as above.

    Were Jury-trial extended as above "very many of such cases would in consequence (could) under and in virtue of the proposed law /Act of Parliament/ be brought to the Court of Session: a result which say they "there is much reason to apprehend." for in accession of business to their own seat of pure and disinterested and upright judicature for the [...?] [...?] is new because matters of apprehension to them newly [...?] advocates /enlisted defenders/ of [...?] and acceptable justice.
  • Title: [8 May 1807 II. Omissa Letter]
    Description: 8 May 1807

    II. Omissa

    Letter VI

    Introd.

    My Lord

    I am arrived at the 2 d of the three topics announced in the opening of the first of these letters. viz.: Omissa: things [...?] which, according to my humble conception of the matter, ought to have been proposed in a Bill /Plan/ having for it object "the better regulating the Courts of Justice in Scotland and the administration of justice in Scotland therein" and in the Bill /Plan/ in question are not proposed.

    As to my /these/ Omissa, were the catalogue of them /here given/ to be given compleat, Your Lordship understands already that it would include every arrangement by which the technical system of procedure, according to the mode of it in use in Scotland differs from the natural mode: in a word almost every arrangement from /by/ which the procedure of the Court of Session differs - I can not say crudely and simply from the procedure of the Scotch Small Debt Courts and English Courts of Conscience, but what would be the procedure of those seats of uncorrupted justice were their field of jurisdiction with that of the regular, the technical Courts with the Court of Session at the /that/ head.
  • Title: [[094-462v] Nov 1806 Evidence]
    Description: [094-462v]

    Nov 1806

    Evidence

    [...?] II Causes II device

    Ch. │ │ Device the │ │ th Bandying the suit /cause/ from Court to Court.

    Appeals and Removals require the concurrence of a party. The sort of transfer here in question does not /requires no such concurrence: nor any spontaneous act on the part of any body: - it takes place of course: viz. at this or that /a particular/ stage in the progress of the cause.

    By the device here in question, I mean not that removal /transfer/ which takes place in case of appeal viz: where a suitor who regards himself as injured by adverse decision or groundless delay in an inferior Court seeks redress in a superior Court, nor yet the sort of removal which requires the concurrance of one of the parties, but those removals which take place of course, before any decision is pronounced, and fom which neither party has it in his power to preserve himself. the avoidance of which depends not upon either of the parties.

    Of this device the number of possible modifications are /is/ plainly infinite. exemplifications will be found in the existing practice

    The principal of them will be found comparable under the following description

    1. One Court /Judge/ to decide; another Court to collect the evidence on which the decision is to be grounded. Examples. 1. Practice of the Equity Courts.

    2. Practice of the Ecclesiastical Courts /and Admiralty/

    3. Practice of the Common Law Courts in Circle and Communal[?] Appeal

    4. Practice of the Common Law Courts on Indictments for [...?] felonious offences

    5. Practice of the Common Law Courts on Indictments for [...?] felonious offences

    6. Practice of the Common Law Courts on Informations[?]

    7. Practice of the Court of Session in Scotland. Game at Shuttlecock played with the cause, game between Inner and Outer House. Property of the suitors sold[?] over the gridiron in both Houses. /or/ A plague on both your Houses! would be the cry of the miserable suitor, if this [...?] on the part cry out, day by day, /Motion/Causes/ Marsalio[?] could have safely pronounced upon the Edinburgh theatre.

    Examples of the contrary.

    2. Attachments in all the Courts

    1. Petitions /Causes brought in by/ to the Chancellor in matters of Bankruptcy.

    3. All other Motion Causes in all the Courts. See Ch.