The legal system of Scotland. Owing to its
separate development, Scotland has a system
differing from the rest of the UK, being
based on civil law. Its continued separate
existence was guaranteed by the Act of Union
with England in 1707. In the latter part of
the 20th century England adopted some
features already existing in Scots law, for
example, majority jury verdicts, and the
replacement of police prosecution by a system
of public prosecution (see under procurator
fiscal). There is no separate system of
equity. The supreme civil court is the House
of Lords, below which comes the Court of
Session, and then the sheriff court (in some
respects similar to the English county court,
but with criminal as well as civil
jurisdiction). More serious criminal cases
are heard by the High Court of Justiciary
which also sits as a Court of Criminal Appeal
(with no appeal to the Lords). Juries have 15
members, and a verdict of `not proven' can be
given. There is no coroner, enquiries into
deaths being undertaken by the procurator
fiscal.