Public Records (Scotland) Act 1809

X Sheriffs Depute annually to examine the State of Record Offices, and the Progress and State of Records kept by Sheriff Clerks; and to report thereon to the Court of Justiciary : The Court of Judiciary to direct Inquiries and make Orders thereon.

And be it further enacted, That the Sheriffs Depute and Stewarts Depute of the several Shires and Stewartries, or their Substitutes, shall at least once in every Year carefully examine into the Progress and State of all the different Records framed and kept by the respective Sheriff Clerks and Stewart Clerks, and shall prepare exact Reports in Writing, letting forth the Remit of their Examinations, and particularly specifying the State and Situation of the Buildings in which the Records of their respective Shires and Stewartries are kept, and how far the Laws and Regulations relative to the several Records have been faithfully and punctually executed and obeyed; and the Sheriffs Depute of the several Shires of Edinburgh, Haddington, and Linlithgow, or their Substitutes respectively, shall in the Month of November in every Year present such Reports, duly authenticated, to the Lords Commissioners of Justiciary at Edinburgh, and the Sheriffs Depute and Stewarts Depute of the other Shires and Stewartries, or their Substitutes respectively, shall present their said Reports, duly authenticated, to the Lords Commissioners of Justiciary, at the Circuit Courts that shall be holden within their respective Bounds, in the Autumn of every Year ; and the said Lords Commissioners of Justiciary are hereby empowered to make such Orders thereon, or direct such further Inquiries to be made as may appear to them to be necessary, and direct their Clerks to enter the same in the Minutes of the Court, and thereafter to transmit the several Reports, with a certified Copy of the Orders that may have been made by them thereon, to the Lord Clerk Register, at whose Instance it shall be competent to present to the Lords of Council and Session summary Complaints against any of the Sheriff Clerks or Stewart Clerks, or their Deputies, on account of any Neglect or Malverfation in the Business of the several Records committed to their Care, and for redressing and punishing the same according to Law.