Court of the Lord Lyon

Court of the Lord Lyon
The arms of office of the Lord Lyon King of Arms
Map
55°57′14″N 3°11′24″W / 55.954°N 3.190°W / 55.954; -3.190
Established1532; 492 years ago (1532)
JurisdictionScotland
LocationNew Register House
3 West Register Street
Edinburgh
EH1 3YT[1]
Coordinates55°57′14″N 3°11′24″W / 55.954°N 3.190°W / 55.954; -3.190
Composition methodAppointed by Monarch of the United Kingdom
Authorised byLyon King of Arms Act 1592 and subsequent statutes
Appeals toCivil: Inner House of the Court of Session
Criminal: High Court of Justiciary
Websitewww.courtofthelordlyon.scot Edit this at Wikidata
Lord Lyon King of Arms
CurrentlyJoseph Morrow CVO CBE KStJ KC
Since17 January 2014

The Court of the Lord Lyon, or Lyon Court, is a standing court of law, based in New Register House in Edinburgh, which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, as well as records of genealogies.

The Lyon Court is a public body, and the fees for grants of arms are paid to His Majesty's Treasury. It is headed by the Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, who must be legally qualified, as he has criminal jurisdiction in heraldic matters, and the court is fully integrated into the Scottish legal system, including having a dedicated prosecutor, known in Scotland as a procurator fiscal.

Its equivalent in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, in terms of awarding arms, is the College of Arms, which is a royal corporation and not a court of law. The High Court of Chivalry is a civil court in England and Wales with jurisdiction over cases dealing with heraldry.

  1. ^ "Where To Find Us". National Records of Scotland. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2019.