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Scottish courts and the law
Scottish courts and the law

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Course summary

Having completed this course you should now have:

  • an understanding of the structure and jurisdiction of the Scottish court system
  • an understanding of the relationship between different types of court in Scotland
  • an understanding of the role of the personnel within the court system.

You should also have an appreciation of the nature of some of the changes taking place in the Scottish legal system.

If you do not feel you have achieved all of these learning outcomes you may find it helpful to reread the relevant section of the course, review any notes you have taken and look again at the illustration of the Scottish court structure in Figure 2 of Week 3.

Court procedures and practice, whether criminal or civil, have been developed over many centuries and continue to evolve today, they are often subject to reform in response to changes in the society within which they operate. Reform in the Scottish legal system is increasingly driven by legislation aimed at creating a legal system which meets society’s twenty-first-century needs.

We hope this course has provided you with a helpful overview of the court system in Scotland.

Now you’ve completed Scottish courts and the law, you may like to enrol on these free OpenLearn courses:

The Scottish Parliament and law making [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]

Legal skills and debates in Scotland

Law and change: Scottish legal heroes

And if you would like to take your study in this subject area further, sign up to the Open University course Law making in Scotland.