The Lord President of the Court of Session and Lord Justice General () is the most senior judge in Scotland, the head of the judiciary, and the presiding judge of the College of Justice, the Court of Session, and the High Court of Justiciary. The Lord President holds the title of Lord Justice General of Scotland and the head of the High Court of Justiciary ex officio, as the two offices were combined in 1836. The Lord President has authority over any court established under Scots law, except for the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the Court of the Lord Lyon.
The current Lord President of the Court of Session is Lord Pentland, who was appointed to the position on 3 February 2025 succeeding Lord Carloway They are paid according to salary group 1.1 of the Judicial Salaries Scale, which in 2026 is £290,213.
Remit and jurisdiction
Head of the judiciary As Lord President of the Court of Session and is the most senior judge in Scotland, the head of the judiciary, and the presiding judge of the College of Justice, and the Court of Session. Under Section 2(6) of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008, the Lord President has authority over the judiciary of any court established under Scots law, except for the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and the Court of the Lord Lyon. The Scottish Land Court, which until 1 April 2017 was administered separately, was transferred to the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. The 2008 act states:
The Lord President is supported by the Judicial Office for Scotland which was established on 1 April 2010 as a result of the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008, and the Lord President chairs the corporate board of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service. The Lord President, and the wider judiciary, is advised on matters relating to the administration of justice by the Judicial Council for Scotland, which is a non-statutory body established in 2007. There had been plans for a statutory judges' council but these plans were abandoned in favour of a non-statutory council convened by the Lord President.
Inner House The Lord President presides over the 1st Division of the Inner House of the Court of Session. The Inner House is the part of the Court of Session which acts as a court of appeal for cases decided the Outer House and Sheriff Appeal Court, and hearing appeals on questions of law from the Sheriff Appeal Court, Scottish Land Court, Court of the Lord Lyon, and the Lands Tribunal for Scotland.
Official Oath In Scotland the Official Oath is taken before the Lord President of the Court of Session.
Lord Justice General The Lord President is also the Lord Justice General of Scotland and the head of the High Court of Justiciary ex officio, with the two offices having been combined in 1836.The office of Lord Justice General is derived from the justiciars who were appointed from at least the twelfth century. From around 1567 onwards it was held heritably by the Earl of Argyll until the heritability was resigned to the Crown in 1607.
Officeholders
Justiciars
(called Lord Chief Justices by Scot of Scotstarvet).
Argadus, Captain of Argyll, in the reign of Ethodius Comes Dunetus; in the reign of King William the Lion. (Donnchad II, Earl of Fife) William Comyn Richard Comyn David, Earl of Huntingdon (died 1219) Walter Clifford, Justiciary of the Lothians 1216: Allan, Justiciary to King Alexander II 1224: William Cumin, Earl of Buchan Walter (died 1241), son of Allan High Steward of Scotland 1239: William, Earl of Ross, "Lord Chief Justice of Scotland" Alexander (d.1283), High Steward of Scotland to King Alexander II 1253: Alexander Cumin, Earl of Buchan 1366: Robert de Erskine, Justiciary South of the Forth for King David II bef 1372: Alan de Lawedre of The Bass, Whitslaid, & Haltoun, Justiciary South of the Forth, (he received a pension for holding this post in 1374). 1437: James Douglas, Earl of Avondale and Lord Balveny 1446: Patrick de Ogilvy, Justiciary South of the Forth 1457: John, Lord Lindsay of the Byres, Justiciary South of the Forth William Sinclair, 3rd Earl of Orkney & Caithness (d.1480), Justiciary North of the Forth for King James II 1477: John Haldane of Gleneagles, Justiciary North of the Forth Patrick Hepburn, 1st Lord Hailes (died after 1482), and Robert, 2nd Lord Lyle, Justiciaries South of the Forth Andrew, Earl of Crawfurd, and George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly, Justiciaries North of the Forth 1488: Robert Lyle, 2nd Lord Lyle (died ), "Lord Chief Justice" 1489: John Lyon, 3rd Lord Glamis (died 1 April 1497), and John Drummond, 1st Lord Drummond: "Justice-General" 1492: Robert Lyle, 2nd Lord Lyle, and John Lyon, 3rd Lord Glamis 1494: John Drummond, 1st Lord Drummond (died c1519) 1504: Andrew Gray, 2nd Lord Gray, and John Kennedy, 2nd Lord Kennedy 1514: Colin Campbell, 3rd Earl of Argyll 1526: Archibald Douglas of Kilspindie 1532: Alexander Mylne, Abbot of Cambuskenneth 1537: Archibald Campbell, 4th Earl of Argyll 1567: Sir Colin Campbell, 6th Earl of Argyll, (d.1584) (heritably) 1578: Sir Colin Campbell, 6th Earl of Argyll, (re-appointment?) 1589: Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argyll, (who exchanged the heritable office of Lord Chief Justice in 1607, for the heritable Lieutenancy of Argyll and Lorn, and most of The Isles).
Lord Justice-General From Until Remarks William Graham, 1st Earl of Airth, 7th Earl of Menteith 11 July 1628 8 November 1633 Sir William Elphinstone 23 December 1635 13 November 1641 Sir Thomas Hope, younger of Kerse 18 November 1641 23 August 1643 William Cunningham, 8th Earl of Glencairn 13 November 1646 15 February 1649 John Kennedy, 6th Earl of Cassilis 15 March 1649 9 August 1651 John Murray, 2nd Earl of Atholl 16 August 1661 21 May 1675 Alexander Stuart, 5th Earl of Moray 21 May 1675 5 May 1676 Archibald Primrose, Lord Carrington 5 May 1676 30 September 1678 George Mackenzie, Lord Tarbat 30 September 1678 1 June 1680 William Douglas, 3rd Earl of Queensberry 1 June 1680 1 March 1682 James Drummond, 4th Earl of Perth 1 March 1682 13 June 1684 George Livingston, 3rd Earl of Linlithgow 13 June 1684 3 August 1689 Robert Ker, 4th Earl of Lothian 3 August 1689 15 February 1703 George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie 17 October 1704 23 October 1710 Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll 23 October 1710 15 April 1761 John Hay, 4th Marquess of Tweeddale 27 June 1761 9 December 1762 Charles Douglas, 3rd Duke of Queensberry 15 April 1763 22 October 1778 David Murray, 2nd Earl of Mansfield 23 October 1778 1794 James Graham, 3rd Duke of Montrose 14 January 1795 30 December 1836
Lord President From Until Remarks Alexander Myln, Abbot of Cambuskenneth 1532 1548 Abbot of Cambuskenneth (1519–1548) Robert Reid, Bishop of Orkney 1549 1558 Abbot of Kinloss (1528–1553); Commendator of Beauly (1531–1553); Bishop of Orkney (1541–1558) Henry Sinclair, Bishop of Ross 1558 1565 Commendator of Kilwinning (1541–1550); Dean of Glasgow (1550–1561); Bishop of Ross (1558–1565) John Sinclair, Bishop of Brechin 1565 1566 Appointed a Lord of Session, 1540; Bishop of Brechin (1565–1566) William Baillie, Lord Provand 1566 1567 Appointed a Lord of Session, 1550 James Balfour, Lord Pittendreich 1567 1568 Appointed a Lord of Session, 1561 William Baillie, Lord Provand 1568 1593 Alexander Seton, 1st Lord Fyvie 1593 1604 Appointed a Lord of Session, 1586; Provost of Edinburgh (1598–1608); Lord Chancellor of Scotland (1604–1622); Lord High Commissioner to the Parliament of Scotland (1612–1621) James Elphinstone, 1st Lord Balmerino 1605 1609 Appointed a Lord of Session, 1587; Secretary of State (1598–1609) John Preston of Fenton Barns, Lord Fentonbarns 1609 1616 Appointed a Lord of Session, 1595 Thomas Hamilton, 1st Earl of Melrose 1616 1625 Appointed a Lord of Session, 1592; Lord Advocate (1595–1596 and 1596–1612); Lord Clerk Register (1612) Sir James Skene of Curriehill 1626 1633 Lord Clerk Register (1594–1612); Appointed a Lord of Session, 1594 Robert Spottiswood, Lord Newabbey 1633 1646 Appointed a Lord of Session, 1622 Sir John Gilmour of Craigmillar 1661 1671 Commissioner for Edinburghshire (1661–1671) James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount Stair 1671 1681 Appointed a Lord of Session, 1661; Commissioner for Wigtownshire (1672–1674, 1678 and 1681–1682) George Gordon, 1st Earl of Aberdeen 1681 1682 Commissioner for Aberdeenshire (1669–1674, 1678 and 1681–1682); Appointed a Lord of Session, 1680; Lord Chancellor of Scotland (1682–1684) Sir David Falconer of Newton 1682 1685 Appointed a Lord of Session, 1676; Commissioner for Forfarshire (1685) Sir George Lockhart of Carnwath 1685 31 March 1689 Appointed Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, 1672; Commissioner for Lanarkshire (1681–1682 and 1685–1686) James Dalrymple, 1st Viscount Stair 28 October 1689 25 November 1695 Appointed a Lord of Session, 1661; Commissioner for Wigtownshire (1672–1674, 1678 and 1681–1682) Hew Dalrymple, Lord North Berwick 17 March 1698 20 June 1737 Commissioner for New Galloway (1690–1702); Dean of the Faculty of Advocates (1695–1698); Commissioner for North Berwick (1702–1707) Duncan Forbes, Lord Culloden 20 June 1737 4 June 1748 MP for Ayr Burghs (1721–1722); MP for Inverness Burghs (1722–1737); Lord Advocate (1725–1737) Robert Dundas, Lord Arniston, the Elder 4 June 1748 26 August 1753 Solicitor General for Scotland (1717–1720); Lord Advocate (1720–1725); MP for Midlothian (1722–1737); Senator of the College of Justice (1737–1753) Robert Craigie of Glendoick, Lord Craigie 22 January 1754 10 March 1760