Justiciar

Justiciar is a historical office name originating from the Latin iusticiarius and the Old French justiciier, used in medieval England, Scotland, and some continental kingdoms. The term denotes a high official who combined judicial authority with royal administration, acting as the king’s representative in the realm and overseeing the administration of justice.

In England, after the Norman Conquest the Justiciar was the king’s chief minister and administrator, often acting in the king’s absence. The office encompassed oversight of royal justice, presiding at the king’s courts or Curia Regis, issuing writs, and supervising sheriffs and revenue collection. The position reached prominence in the 12th century under rulers such as Henry II, with notable holders including Ranulf de Glanville and Hubert Walter. Over time the role shifted toward a more strictly judicial function, while professional justices and specialized courts grew, and by the 13th and 14th centuries the title declined as the system evolved into separate offices such as the lord chief justice and the regular justices of the realm.

In medieval Scotland, the Justiciar was the principal royal judge and administrator of law. The office was sometimes divided regionally into Justiciar North and Justiciar South to govern different parts of the kingdom, sustaining its authority into the late medieval period as the legal system developed. Later reforms, including the rise of the Lords of Justiciary and the offices of Lord Justice General and Lord Justice Clerk, gradually supplanted the old office, though the Justiciar remains a key historical marker of Scotland’s early legal administration.

Today the term “justiciar” is primarily of historical interest, used mainly in the study of medieval law and governance.