Talk:Scottish Law

Why is Scottish law based on Roman law, if the country was never ruled by the Romans? Explanation?

As I remember it was because a project was carried out to modernise the Scottish legal system during the Middle Ages. I believe that Duns Scotus the philosopher was involved. The decision was made at the time to model the new system on the Institutes (training manuals) of Justinian which is the legal system that was codified by a committee set up by the Emperor Justinian. That legal system was intended for use throughout the Roman Empire during his reign and after it. The system was much admired in later times, hence the Scottish decision to use it as the basis of Scottish law. -- Derek Ross