The roots of Scots law can be traced to the 1100s. How and why did that law come into being? How was it used in dispute resolution during the medieval and early modern periods? And how did its authority develop over the centuries? This volume explores such questions, introducing readers to the history of the Scottish legal system prior to the 1707 parliamentary union with England.

From the roots of a law that applied to all subjects of the Scottish King to the Union with England, this new legal history textbook explores the genesis, evolution and enduring influence of early Scots law. Discover how and why Scots law come into being, how was it used in dispute resolution during the medieval and early modern periods and how its authority developed over the centuries.