HL Deb 22 December 1830 vol 2 c49

On taking his place, the Lord Chancellor observed, that a very gross misrepresentation, affecting the character of certain learned Judges, had been made with respect to the mode in which Scotch appeals had been disposed of since he came to the Seals. It was asserted, that in nearly all the Scotch appeals heard by their Lordships since the period in question, the decisions of the Courts below had been reversed. Now, he thought it right to say, that this was the direct contrary of the truth. Thirteen appeal cases had been heard since he had the honour to advise their Lordships upon judicial business. Of those, eleven had been decided; seven, by affirming, and four by reversing the decrees appealed against. Of the eleven decisions, nine were in Scotch cases; and in seven instances out of the nine the original decree was confirmed; in two it was reversed. The other two reversals occurred upon Irish appeals. He ought to state, that in the two Scotch cases in which reversals took place, it was upon points of English law; and he might add, that if the matter at issue had referred to Scotch law, in all probability the result would have been different. It was no more than an act of justice to the Scotch Courts, from which an allegation such as he had alluded to was calculated to take away all authority and respect,— it was only an act of justice to contradict a statement so unfounded.

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