Manuscripta juridica

Ius proprium Scotiae - College of Justice: statutes (1532-1565)

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No. of pages: Fol. 120r-126r (quire 6):

Rubric: The statutis to be reid.

[{i}First words of the various chapters:{/i}] that all statutis and ordinances maid for ordouring of the said College of Justice be reid in the counsalhous to the saidis Lordis at the begynning of everie sessioun, to the effect that thai may have recent memorie of the samyn.

For inoportune solistaris.

Item becaus thar is greit tynsale of tyme maid threw inquietatioun of the Lordis be inoportune solicitatioun of dyverss persounis to hans [{i}= enhance?{/i}] thair mater be callit, it is ordanit, fra tyme thai begin to heid the billis and sittis doun in the counsalhous, that nane of the saidis senatouris ryst speik nor (huioun?) nor thare collegis nor utheris persounis, bot as thar sal be chargeit be the president to dispute and voit, sub pena arbitrii presidentis et dominorum imponenda. And quhat persounis that usis sic inoportune solistatioun or murmouris or infestis the Lordis be crying for expeditioun of thair materis fra the begynning of the reiding of the saidis billis, thair materis and causis sall nocht be harde nor decydit upon for the space of viii. dayis tharefter, and the advocatis to be advertisit heirof, that thar may certifie thar clients of the samyn.

Setterday to advyse process. ... Item it is devysit and ordanit that all process sal be advysit everie Setterday, gif the partys desyris the samyn ... Setterday to pronunce all decreits ... Anentis granting of commissiounis.

The names of the procutouris admittit. Item becaus thair is dyverss actiounis pleit at the bar be men of law and utheris nocht practicat in advocatioun, nor admittit be the Lordis to practice, quhairthrow dyverss maters of the liegis of this realme ar (over)sein and ofttymes tynt throw negligence of the saidis procutouris, thairfoir for remeid heirof the Lordis hes devysit and ordanit that nane p(lai..?)ie befoir thame at the bar in tymes cumming bot sa many as ar admittit be thame of befoir. That is to say maister James Makgill, maister David Borthvik, maister Thomas K(incar)gy, maister Thomas Makcalzant, maister George Strang, maister Williame Wichtman, maister Johne Spens, maister Johne Abirc(rumm)y, maister Robert Heriot, maister Johne Robertsoun, maister George Leslie, maister Robert Lumisdenn. And that nane of the saidis procuratouris (in)g(ijr)e thame selfis to cum to the bar unprovysitlie, to plie ony mater or actioun nocht knawand the meritis of the clients causs, under the pane of payment to thair clients of all the lettres and expensis that thai happin to mak remaining on justice, or uther pane arbitrair as sal be imponit to thame be the president and Lordis. .

That sentence be pronuncit iudicialiter at the bar. ... Repetitiounn of (wour)dis to be abusit, quhilk concernis the advocatis.

Anent the convening of the Lordis and the dayis app(oynt)it thairto.

Inprimis it is devysit, statute and ordanit that all actis, statutis and ordinances maid the tyme of the institutioun of the Colledge of Justice and Seissioun and to be maid heireftir be red in presens of the Lordis on the first day of the conventioun, quhilk sal be zeirlie upon the first laufull day eftir Martynmess ... and to sit quhill santt Thomas ewin befoir Zule. And siclyk sall convein upon the first laufull day efter Up(h)alie day and to sit quhill Palmsonday ewin, and als sall convein upon M(oun)day eftir Quasimodo, callit Trinitie Sunday, to sit quhill Lambmess ewin. And gif ony of the said Lordis beis absent ony of the four foirsaidis dayis of conventioun befoir none withtout just and laufull impediment, he sall pay for ilkane of thai dayis absent ten pund to the collectour, for the tyme to be applyit (be the) (....) distributiounis.

[{i}Further headings:{/i}] Anent the Lordis daylie residents, and pains of the absentis ... Anent the calling of the tablis ... Anent the calling of previlegiat materis ... Anent the calling of materis in the (...?) ordour ... Anent the houris that the Lordis sall convein dayly at. ... Item the Lordis to enter the counsalhous at viii. hours and sit quhill xi. houris fra Pasche to Lambmess, and to enter at nyne and sit quhill xii. fra Martynmess to Pasche, and to ryse quhen the hour strykis ... Anent the proponing of exceptiounis quhilk concernis the advocatis ... For calling of previlegiat materis ... Anentis the summonding of witnessis and pains thairanentis ... Anent the pronunceing of materis and putting of thame in the buikis.

Item that all materis decydit in the (...lik) be registrat in the buik of Counsale. And pronuncit in presens of the Lordis upon Setterday, and thair names insert (in them), except small licht materis to be pronuncit incontinent eftir that thai be put in the buike ... For delyvering of billis.

Anent the chesing of advocatis. Item that na partie cheis first (tua) advocatis, nor tua, comp(r)ehendand thairin his pentionar, gif he ony hes, without certificatioun ... Anent the service of Massiris. Item that thair be four ordinar Massiris. Quhilk four sall await continualie in tyme of Sessioun, and serwe trewlie ... Anent the advocatis and ressaving zeirlie of the aythis ... That thair be aucht Lordis present at the gevin of all decreits and interloquitours, witht the president. ... Anent the ressaving of all lettres. ... Anent the geving of (com)missiounis ... Anent the habitis of Lordis and advocatis ... Anent the ordour of the Mais(s)aris.

Anent the calling of materis within xl. libras.

Item forsamekile as thair is diverss and sundrie actiounis daylie and continualie callit befoir the Lordis of Counsale and Sessioun, and presentlie dependend befoir thame far within the avale of fourtie pundis or (thair)by, quhilkis aucht and sald have process befoir the jugeis ordinar, quhairby the saidis Lordis ar gretlie empeschit and the partiis alswell persewar as defendar ar put to greit expensis, and for remeid heirof it is devysit statute and ordanit that all actiounis extending to the valour of xl. libras allanerlie sal be procedit upon befoir the juge ordinar, and nocht cum befoir the Lordis foirsaidis in the first instance, except membris of Sessioun and Counsale, pure folkis, indigent creatouris and strangearis, quha sall have process at the will and pleising of the Lordis as thai sall tak consideratioun thairanent.

[{i}Further headings:{/i}] Double ordinar lettres, and anent the gevin of lettres conforme thairto. ... Double poinding.

Apud Edinburgh, primultimo Februarii anno domini 1564. And red of new in presens of the Lordis the last day of Apryle 1565. The quhilk day for expeditioun of all caussis dependand befoir the Lordis of Counsale and to be persewit befoir thame in tymes cumming, it is devysit, statute and ordanit that the eldest materis now dependand befoir thame be first callit, and everie mater to be callit upon the previlegiat day etc.

Quart Martii 1532. Discharging of taxatiounis of the Lordis of Counsale. The quhilk day my Lord Thesaurare, in presens of the Lordis of Counsale, wes contentit that na process sall pass upone ony of the Lordis of Sessioun for inbringin of the taxatioun put upon thame be vertew of the Papis bullis, and realie dischargit thaim anentis teynde, except solatiis, and presentlie (hmrddt?) maister Johne Reid, provest of s(imple) subcollectour of the said taxatioun, to ceiss fra all proceding againis thame, or ony ane of thame, for the partis of the said tax(atioun). Quhairupoun maister Williame Gibsoun, dean of Restalrig, for him self and the remanent of the Colledge of Justice askit instrumentis.

[{i}Further headings:{/i}] xiii. Junii 1532. Tabling of summondis at the kingis instance. ... Ordour to be had anentis supernumerare Lordis ... Anent delyvering of billis ... Anent exceptiounis. Item anent the act maid, tuiching the proponing of dilatour exceptiounis, it is diclarit to have place that ony ane exceptioun declinatour or aganis the ordour or executioun of the summondis, or ony uther kynd of dilatour quhatsumevir beand repellit, it sal be necess(air) to propone all the cais of dilatour at anis, and na ma to be had thaireftir, quhid(der) the partie adversar protest or nocht. And siclyk in peremptoriis. The quhilkis exceptiounis, outher dilatour or peremptour, or repliis beand anis proponit, be tung urgevin (in) be writ and ressonit upon at the bar, and sua lest in the Lordis handis, it sall nocht be leissum to partiis to amend, eik, pair or alter thaim ony wyss thaireftir in the instance. And gif ane dilatour proponit, admittit to be provin, beis nocht provin, that the partie proponar thairof sal be haldin to pay the expenssis, incontinent to be modifiit be the Lordis. And sall be secludit fra proponing of ony ma dilatour in the instance.

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