1 Official law reports
If judges play an important role in society by deciding cases and providing a judgment which gives the reasons for their decision how can a member of the public find out what that decision is? With technology it has become relatively easy, as long as there is internet access, to find records of decisions made by a court. Lawyers rely on formal reports of cases – not newspaper reports –and these can be found in official law reports.
The Scottish Council of Law Reporting, a company limited by guarantee, has been established by the Scottish legal profession to manage publication of Session cases and other materials. This is designed to help promote the best practice of Scots law. The Council is a not for profit charitable company whose membership includes representatives of the Scottish judiciary, Scottish advocates and Scottish solicitors.
Watch this video clip which explores how lawyers use reports of session cases in court.
