What's happening at court?

Court Rolls

When the court system was established, the day’s court proceedings were written on a parchment roll and posted outside of the court house. Today, you can still see full details of the court hearings taking place on court rolls that are posted outside of every court in the UK. This ancient part of the judicial system has been retained to show that the law is transparent and accessible to anyone.

In Scotland, court rolls are published every day that the Court of Session is operating. The court rolls show all the business that the Court of Session in Edinburgh will be presiding over. The daily roll is also supplemented with a longer roll at the beginning of the session (normally late September, early January and April) that gives details of the main business the court will be considering.

The High Court of Justiciary and Appeals has a database of its court rolls that can be searched for up to five weeks in advance of a case being heard. The information is as accurate as possible, but it is always a good idea to check that the case you are interested in is on the court rolls and has not had its hearing time and date changed. The Sheriff’s Court and the Justice of the Peace Courts also have a searchable database of court rolls that holds case information for five business days.

If you would like to obtain legal advice about a court case that appears on a court roll, Contact Law can put you in touch with a local specialist solicitor free of charge. So, if you have any questions or would like our help in finding local solicitors please call us on 0800 1777 162 or complete the web-form above.