The Scottish Government has executive responsibility for the Scottish legal system, with functions performed by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans Affairs. The Minister for Justice is responsible for the police, law enforcement, Scottish courts in Scotland, the Scottish Prison Service, the fire brigade, civil emergencies and civil justice. The death of Alexander III in March 1286 broke the line of succession of the Scottish kings. Edward I of England arbitrated between various pretenders to the Scottish crown. In exchange for relinquishing nominal independence from Scotland, John Balliol was proclaimed king in 1292. [45]: 47 [47] In 1294, Balliol and other Scottish lords rejected Edward`s demands to serve in his army against the French. Scotland and France sealed a treaty known as the Auld Alliance on October 23, 1295. War broke out and John was deposed by Edward, who personally took control of Scotland. Andrew Moray and William Wallace first emerged as the main leaders of resistance to English rule in the Wars of Scottish Independence,[48] until Robert Bruce was crowned King of Scotland in 1306. The victory at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 proved that the Scots had regained control of their kingdom.[49] In 1320, the world`s first documented declaration of independence, the Declaration of Arbroath, gained the support of Pope John XXII, leading to the legal recognition of Scottish sovereignty by the English crown.
[50]: 70, 72 Scots law has a base derived from Roman law,[281] which combines features of uncodified civil law, dating back to the Corpus Juris Civilis, and common law with medieval sources. The provisions of the Treaty of Union with England of 1707 ensured the maintenance of a legal system separate from that of England and Wales in Scotland. [282] Prior to 1611, there were several regional legal systems in Scotland, including Udalrecht in Orkney and Shetland, which was based on Old Norse law. Various other systems derived from the usual Celtic or Brehonic laws survived in the Highlands until the 1800s. [283] Lawyers are members of the Law Society of Scotland and deal directly with their clients in a wide range of legal matters. In most cases, they take their client`s case to court and, although they have traditionally not had the right to appear before higher courts, since 1992 they can apply for extensive rights and become known as solicitor advocates. The notary, unlike its continental equivalent, is not a member of a separate profession; They must be lawyers, and most lawyers are also notaries. In 1603, James VI, King of Scotland, inherited the thrones of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Ireland in the Union of the Crowns and settled in London. [55] The first Union Jack was designed at James` request to be flown at sea on Scottish ships in addition to the St. Andrew`s Cross. James VI and I intended to create a single kingdom of Great Britain, but in his attempt to do so were thwarted by the Parliament of England, which supported the damning proposal to seek full legal union instead, a proposal that the Scottish Parliament did not accept, prompting the king to withdraw the plan. [56] While the Scottish Enlightenment traditionally served in the late 18th century. [79] Disproportionate Scottish contributions to British science and literature continued for another 50 years or more, thanks to figures such as physicists James Clerk Maxwell and Lord Kelvin and engineers and inventors James Watt and William Murdoch. whose work was instrumental in the technological developments of the Industrial Revolution across Britain. [80] In literature, Walter Scott is the most successful figure of the mid-19th century. His first prose work, Waverley in 1814, is often regarded as the first historical novel. [81] He began a very successful career, which probably helped define and popularize Scottish cultural identity more than any other. [82] By the end of the 19th century, a number of Scottish-born authors had gained international acclaim, such as Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle, J. M. Barrie, and George MacDonald. [83] Scotland also played an important role in the development of art and architecture. The Glasgow School, which developed in the late 19th century and flourished into the early 20th century, produced a distinctive blend of influences, including the Celtic Revival, Arts and Crafts movement and Japonism, which resonated with the modern art world of continental Europe and helped define Art Nouveau. Developers included architect and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh. [84] The Roman conquest of Britain was never completed, and most of modern Scotland was not placed under Roman political control. [39] The first Roman invasion of Scotland took place in 79 AD when Agricola invaded Scotland; he was defeated in 83 AD. A Caledonian army at the Battle of Mons Graupius. [36]:12 After the Roman victory, Roman forts were briefly established along Gask Ridge near the Highland Line, but three years after the battle, the Roman armies had withdrawn into Süderland. [40] Remains of 1st century Roman forts have been found as far away as the Moray Firth.During the reign of Roman Emperor Trajan (r. 98–117), Roman control had passed to Britain south of a line between the River Tyne and the Solway Firth.[39] [41] In this sense, Trajan`s successor, Hadrian (r. 117-138), built Hadrian`s Wall in northern England,[36]:12 and the Limes Britannicus became the northern border of the Roman Empire. [42] [43] Roman influence on the southern part of the country was considerable, and they introduced Christianity to Scotland. [36]: 13–14 [38]:38 Scots law dates back to its beginnings as a different customs system in early Scottish cultures to its modern role as one of the three legal systems of the United Kingdom.