Lord of Appeal in Ordinary


Lord of Appeal in Ordinary

a person appointed to carry out the judicial function of the HOUSE OF LORDS and of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, theoretically in addition to any persons in the House of Lords who are legally qualified. The office was instituted in legislation in 1876 when it was clear there were insufficient able bodies in the Lords. The Lord of Appeal in Ordinary, as well as sitting as a judge, is entitled to sit and vote in the Lords. Persons must have held high judicial office for two years or be barristers or advocates of 15 years' standing. Often they have sat in the Court of Appeal or in the Inner House of the Court of Session. As a matter of practice there are always some Scottish Lords of Appeal in Ordinary so that in Scottish appeals an eminent Scots lawyer is available to assist the English-trained judges.