[1587/7/35]¹

Concerning the sitting and vacation of the session

²Forasmuch as by act of our sovereign lord's last parliament held at Linlithgow, it is statute and ordained that the session and college of justice shall begin their sitting, calling and administration of justice after the great vacation of harvest upon 1 November yearly, and shall sit thereafter every day, the Sundays excepted, until 1 March next thereafter, and that the whole month of March shall be vacation for the oat seed; thereafter, the session to begin and sit the whole month of April, the Sundays excepted, and at the end thereof to rise and vacation to be for the barley seed during the month of May, and thereafter to convene and sit down again continually, the Sundays excepted, from 30 May until 15 August, dispensing with all other diets and times appointed in time past by the institution of the college of justice or whatsoever other acts heretofore made concerning that like, as at more length is contained in the said act of parliament. To the making whereof, albeit undoubtedly there has been most necessary respects appointing some space of vacancy for the sowing as there is for the shearing, yet the said only month of April interjected between March and May for sitting of the session has now by experience proven somewhat tending to the hindrance of his majesty's whole subjects and to the senators of the college of justice, who find difficulty and inconvenience in their often travelling to and from their dwelling places, desiring to have the whole space of the sitting of the college of justice divided in two times, the one in the summer and the other in the winter season; as also two times of vacation, the one in the sowing and the other in the shearing season. And yet willing that there shall be no fewer sitting days of the said college of justice than was of before, by order of the said last act of parliament, therefore our said sovereign lord, with advice and consent of the estates of this present parliament, statutes and ordains that the session and lords of the said college of justice beginning their judgement and sitting yearly on 1 November as said is, shall sit and do justice continuously thereafter every day, the Sundays excepted, until 15 March next thereafter, after the which 15 March, they shall rise and vacation to be until 15 May next thereafter exclusive, and thereafter to convene and sit continuously, the Sundays excepted, until 15 August next following, dispensing as of before with all other diets and times appointed in time past by institution of the said college of justice or whatsoever acts heretofore made thereupon.