Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Jurisdiction definition

What does Jurisdiction mean? Jurisdiction, in legal practice, describes a court’s power to hear and determine a dispute and the limits of that power, both by subject matter and by the territory over which the court’s authority extends. It encompasses personal jurisdiction over the parties (often based on service, presence, domicile or consent, including exclusive jurisdiction clauses) and the court’s territorial and subject‑matter competence. The term is descriptive rather than fixed by a single definition; its scope is set by statute, rules of court, international instruments and case law (for example, the Senior Courts Act 1981, the Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments...

Scottish criminal courts: jurisdiction, maximum penalties, sentencing options and ancillary orders, covering the High Court of Justiciary, sheriff and justice of the peace courts, plus victim statements

Published by a LexisNexis Corporate Crime expert

Practice notes

This Practice Note sets out an explanation of the powers of the Scottish criminal courts to impose sentence following conviction. For an introduction to the structure and operation of the Scottish criminal justice process, see Practice Note: The investigation and prosecution of criminal offences in Scotland. For guidance on the approach the Scottish courts adopt to sentencing corporate criminal/regulatory offences, see Practice Note: Sentencing corporate criminal offences in Scotland.

High Court

The most serious corporate cases are prosecuted in the high court of justiciary (High Court). Under solemn procedure, a judge and jury try the case, as noted above. See Practice Notes: Solemn procedure in Scottish criminal proceedings and Trials under the Scottish solemn procedure. As a trial court, its jurisdiction extends across the whole of Scotland (and, on occasion, beyond) in respect of all crimes unless excluded by statute. It holds exclusive jurisdiction to try the gravest crimes, such as treason, murder and rape. In practice, the High Court deals with other serious crimes including very serious assaults, armed robbery, drug trafficking and sexual offences involving children (even where it is competent for these to be tried by a sheriff sitting with a jury). Many cases involving deaths, though not all,...

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Gavin Anderson , KC

Compass Chambers

Gavin Anderson specialises in white collar crime and regulatory cases. He appears regularly in the High Court of Justiciary, Sheriff Courts and disciplinary tribunals throughout Scotland. Ordinarily, he is instructed regularly to appear in white collar crime and regulatory cases, including health & safety, environmental, financial crime and road traffic offences, as well as Fatal Accident Inquiries. He also represents professional persons charged with serious crime, including teachers, solicitors, company directors and police officers.In November 2021 Mr Anderson was appointed to the role of Crown Counsel by the Lord Advocate, to prosecute serious and complex crime in the High Court of Justiciary and to conduct significant Fatal Accident Inquiry work....

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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