Act of Sederunt


An Act of Sederunt is secondary legislation made by the Court of Session, the supreme civil court of Scotland, to regulate the proceedings of Scottish courts and tribunals hearing civil matters. Originally made under an Act of the Parliament of Scotland of 1532, the modern power to make Acts of Sederunt is largely derived from the Courts Reform Act 2014. Since 2013, draft Acts have also been prepared by the Scottish Civil Justice Council and submitted to the Court of Session for approval.
Following Scottish devolution and the establishment of the Scottish Parliament, Acts of Sederunt are made as Scottish statutory instruments. Previously, Acts were made as United Kingdom statutory instruments, and before that were a separate class of legislation.

History

College of Justice Act 1532

The Court of Session—more accurately the College of Justice—was established by the Parliament of Scotland under James V in 1532. The Act of Parliament establishing the Court, later named the College of Justice Act 1532, provided that the Court would have "such rules and statutes as shall please the king's grace to make and give to them" and "ordain the same to have effect in all points and processes, sentences and decreets shall have the same strength, force and effect as the decreets of the lords of session had in all times bygone." That is, that the rules of the Court of Session were to be made by the King and to have the same force as the decrees of the Lords of Session had before.

College of Justice Act 1540

Although established in 1532, it wasn't until the passing of the College of Justice Act 1540 that the Court of Session gained the power to make law through Acts of Sederunt. The Act granted the Lord President, the Vice-President, and the Senators of the College of Justice the "power to make such acts, statutes and ordinance as they shall think expedient for ordering of processes and the hasty expedition of justice."

Courts Act 1672

The Courts Act 1672 created the High Court of Justiciary, the supreme criminal court of Scotland, by attaching five of the Lords of Session to the Lord Justice General and Lord Justice Clerk. The Courts Act also provided that "the judges of that court regulate the inferior officers thereof, and order every other thing concerning the said court," and so created the distinction between Acts of Sederunt and Acts of Adjournal which continues to exist to this day.
Following a 19th-century reforming of the High Court of Justiciary, all Lords of Session were ex officio Lords Commissioners of Justiciary, instead of the original five ordained by the Courts Act. Although that reformation was repealed, its effect was replicated by the Criminal Procedure Act 1995, which provided that the Lord President of the Court of Session was also to hold the office of Lord Justice General.

Administration of Justice (Scotland) Act 1933

The powers of the Court of Session to make Acts of Sederunt were partially consolidated by the Administration of Justice Act 1933, which also made significant changes to the structure and operations of the Court. One of these significant changes was the establishing of a Rules Council, composed of the Lord President as well as Court of Session judges and practising lawyers, to propose Acts of Sederunt to the Court. The Act also created a Sheriff Court Rules Council, to carry out the same functions but in relation to the sheriff courts.

Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971

The Sheriff Courts Act 1971 enabled the Court of Session to regulate the sheriff courts and Sheriff Appeal Court when they heard civil matters. The Act also dissolved the Sheriff Court Rules Council created by the Administration of Justice Act 1933, and created a new Sheriff Court Rules Council to continually review sheriff court procedure and submit to the Court of Session draft Acts of Sederunt for regulating sheriff courts.

Court of Session Act 1988

The Court of Session Act 1988 was another consolidating Act, now with sections relating to Acts of Sederunt largely repealed or modified by the Courts Reform Act 2014, that also altered the structure of the Court of Session. The remaining powers to make Acts of Sederunt relate to summary trials—although the actual power is now derived from the Courts Reform Act 2014—and the considering of applications to appeal to the Inner House by a single judge.

Scottish Civil Justice Council and Criminal Legal Assistance Act 2013

The Court of Session Rules Council and Sheriff Court Rules Council were dissolved by the Scottish Civil Justice Council and Criminal Legal Assistance Act 2013, which established the Scottish Civil Justice Council as their replacement. Originally, the Council's only function in relation to Acts of Sederunt was to prepare draft civil procedure rules for the Court of Session and sheriff courts, but this was expanded by the Courts Reform Act 2014 to include preparing draft procedural rules for the Sheriff Appeal Court and draft fees rules, and by the Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. Act 2016 to include draft inquiry procedure rules.

Courts Reform (Scotland) Act 2014

The majority of the Court of Session's current power to regulate is derived from the Courts Reform Act 2014, which consolidated many of the existing powers and, in conjunction with the Tribunals Act 2014, extended the power of the Court of Session to enable the Court to make rules for tribunals.

Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016

The Court of Session's power to create Acts of Sederunt was extended by the Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. Act 2016 to include the power to regulate the practice and procedure of public inquiries and fatal accident inquiries.

Powers

As with other secondary legislation, an Act of Sederunt can only make law within the scope set out by an enabling act—an item of primary legislation from which power to make secondary legislation is derived. Most powers of the Court of Session were consolidated into the Courts Reform Act 2014, but other powers continue to be provided by the Public Records Act 1937, the Court of Session Act 1988, the Judiciary and Courts Act 2008, the Legal Services Act 2010, the Tribunals Act 2014, the Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. Act 2016, and others.
A non-exhaustive summary of these powers is provided below. In exercising these powers, the Court of Session can amend or repeal any enactment, including primary legislation, if it relates to matters an Act of Sederunt may cover.
Note, however, that the power to regulate admission into the Faculty of Advocates is effectively delegated from the Court of Session to the Faculty, as the Court legislated to require that those seeking admission meet criteria set out by the Faculty.

Court procedure

Rules of the Court of Session

Rules for the functioning of the Court of Session are developed by the , which was established by the Scottish Civil Justice Council and Criminal Legal Assistance Act 2013. The Council prepares draft rules of procedure for the civil courts and advises the Lord President on the development of the civil justice system in Scotland. The SCJC will consider changes to practice and procedure in response to policy initiatives, by specific request, or of its own accord.
Membership of the Council is provided for in the 2013 Act. The Council is chaired by the Lord President, Lord Gill, and membership includes:
Rules for the functioning of civil procedure in the sheriff courts are also prepared by the Scottish Civil Justice Council.

Enacting formulae

Acts of Sederunt, like other legislation in the United Kingdom, are introduced by enacting formulae. Those for the regulation of procedure in the Court of Session begin:
Those for the regulation of procedure in the sheriff courts begin:
Those for setting the fees of messengers-at-arms are enacted:
Those for setting the fees of sheriff officers are enacted: