In an article for Scottish Legal News “Ben wur ain Inner House – Scots in Scots law” Advocate Jon Kiddie of Terra Firma Chambers explores the use of the Scots language in Scots law.
In the two or three centuries pre-Union, Scots was the language of law and many words and terms remain in use to this day, e.g. for courts, types of judges, and procedures, which are of Scots legal origin. Examples Court of Session, Sheriff Court, Bailiff, Advocate, Avizandum, Delict and Culpable homicide, i.e. manslaughter. Beyond legal terminology, “some of our actual laws and legal concepts also have a more distinctively Scots flavour” using words such as Anent, Furth of, Hamesucken, Poind, Riever, Spuilzie, Thole and Umquhile.