[1579/10/55]¹

Anent the admissioun of the ordiner lordis of the sessioun and reformatioun of certane abuses, cap. 30

²Forsamekle as it is hevely murmurit be diverse liegis of this realme that oure soverane lord electis and chesis young men without gravitie, knawlege and experience, not havand sufficient leving of thair awin, upoun the sessioun, and that sum of thame, be thame selffis, thair wiffis or servandis, takkis buddis, brybis, guidis and geir, sua that justice, in effect, is cost and sauld; for remeid quhairof, the kingis majestie, with avise of his thrie estaitis of this present parliament, statutis and ordanis that nane of the lordis of sessioun alrady ressavit, or to be ressavit, naither be thame selffis or be thair wyffis or servandis, tak, in ony tyme cuming, buddis, brybis, guidis or geir fra quhatsumevir persone or personis presentlie havand, or that heirefter salhappyne to have, ony actionis or cause persewit befoir thame, outhir fra the persewar or defendar, undir the pane of confiscatioun of all thair movable guidis that dois in the contrair, the ane half thairof to be applyit to oure soverane lord and the uther half to the reveilar and tryar of the saidis budtakaris. And further decernis and ordanis the saidis budtakaris to be displacet and deprivit simpliciter of thair offices quhilkis they beir in the college of justice and to be declarit infame, and als to be punishit in thair personis at the kingis majesties will. And siclike oure said soverane lord, with avise foirsaid, hes declarit and declaris that in all tyme cuming, quhen ony ordinar place vaikis in the sessioun, that oure said soverane lord sall presentt and nominat thairto ane man that feiris God of gude literature, undirstanding of the lawes, of gude fame, haveing sufficient leving of his awin and quha can mak gude expeditioun and depasche of materis concerning the liegis of this realme, quha salbe first sufficientlie tryit and examinat be ane nowmer of the saidis ordiner lordis; and incaise that persone presentit be the kingis majestie be not found sa qualifiit be thame as is befoir descrivit, oure soverane lord, with avise of his saidis thrie estaitis of this present parliament, declaris that it salbe lesum to the saidis lordis to refuise the persone presentit to thame and the kingis majestie to present ane uther sa oft as he pleas quhill the persone presentit be foundin qualifiit for useing of the said place. And siclike oure said soverane lord, with avise foirsaid, hes declarit and declaris that the president of the said college of justice salbe chosine be the haill senatouris thairof of the conditionis and qualiteis abonewrittin, quhethir he be of the spirituall or temporall estate, for cheising and electioun of quhome the kingis hienes and estaitis foirsaidis dispense with that part of the first institutioun of the college of justice beirand that the president sould be of the spirituall estate and ane prelat constitut in dignitie. And alsua declaris that in absence of the chancellair and president, now being and that salhappyne to be for the tyme, it salbe lesum to the saidis lordis to elect and cheise ony ane of thair nowmer quhome they think qualifiit and worthiest as said is, quha salbe callit vicepresident, for useing of the said office, calling of maitaris, repeating of allegeances proponit be the advocattis at the bar, collecting of the lordis voitis and pronunciatioun of thair decreitis and interloquutouris ay and quhill the returnyng of the saidis chancellair or president.