http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/20-21/44Crown Suits (Scotland) Act 1857An Act to regulate the Institution of Suits at the Instance of the Crown and the Public Departments in the Courts of Scotland.1978-06-01texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2020-06-01Expert Participation2020-04-01 1857 c.44An Act to regulate the Institution of Suits at the Instance of the Crown and the Public Departments in the Courts of Scotland.[17th August 1857]1Every action, suit, or proceeding to be instituted in Scotland on the behalf of or against Her Majesty, or in the interest of the Crown (including the Scottish Administration), or on the behalf of or against any public department, may be lawfully raised in the name and at the instance of or directed against the appropriate Law Officer as acting under this Act.2Provided always, that before instituting or defending any such action, suit, or proceeding, the appropriate Law Officer shall have the authority of Her Majesty of the part of the Scottish Administration or of the public department respectively on whose behalf or against whom such action, suit, or proceeding shall be instituted, to the institution or defence thereof.3Provided also, that it shall not be competent to any private party in any action, suit, or proceeding instituted as aforesaid, to challenge or impugn the instance of or the title to defeud such action, suit, or proceeding, or the right or title of the appropriate Law Officer to raise and prosecute or to defend the same, upon any allegation that such authority (as aforesaid) has not been granted, or that evidence of such authority is not produced.4 1 The expression “public department” shall include the Treasury, the Ministry of Defence,. . . . , the Board of Inland Revenue, the Commissioners of Customs and Excise, the Crown Estate Commissioners, the Commissioners of Works, the Committee of Her Majesty’s Privy Council appointed for the consideration of matters relating to Trade and Foreign Plantations, and all the like public departments, bodies, or boards, and all and every officer and officers, person and persons acting on the behalf or in the interest of or entitled at the date of the passing of this Act to sue on the behalf or in the interest of any such public department.2But the expression “public department” does not include Crown Estate Scotland.4AIn this Act “the appropriate Law Officer” means—athe Lord Advocate, where the action, suit or proceeding is on behalf of or against any part of the Scottish Administration, andbthe Advocate General for Scotland, in any other case.5. . . No action, suit, or proceeding raised or to be raised at the instance of or against the Lord Advocate or the Advocate General for Scotland for the time being shall abate or be affected by any change in the person, holding that office.6Short title given by Short Titles Act 1896 (c. 14)Preamble omitted under authority of Statute Law Revision Act 1892 (c. 19)Act wholly in force at Royal Assent.Act extended (16.10.1992) by Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (c. 52), ss. 247(4), 302Words in s. 1 inserted (20.5.1999) by 1998 c. 46, s. 125, Sch. 8 para. 2(2)(a); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 2(2), Sch. 4Words in s. 1 substituted (20.5.1999) by 1998 c. 46, s. 125, Sch. 8 para. 2(2)(b); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 2(2), Sch. 4Words in s. 2 substituted (20.5.1999) by 1998 c. 46, s. 125, Sch. 8 para. 2(3)(a); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 2(2), Sch. 4Words in s. 2 inserted (20.5.1999) by 1998 c. 46, s. 125, Sch. 8 para. 2(3)(b); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 2(2), Sch. 4Words in s. 3 substituted (20.5.1999) by 1998 c. 46, s. 125, Sch. 8 para. 2(4); S.I. 1999/3178, art. 2(2), Sch. 4Functions of Commissioners of Works now exercisable by Secretary of State: S. R & O. 1945/991 9 Rev. XV, p. 232; 1945 I, p. 1414), art. 2 and S.I.1970/1681, art. 2(1)S. 4 extended by Employment Protection Act 1975 (c. 71), s. 1 Sch. 1 Pt. I para. 11(2)Words substituted by virtue of Defence (Transfer of Functions) Act 1964 (c. 15), s. 3(2)Words repealed by Post Office Act 1969 (c. 48), Sch. 11 Pt. IIWords substituted by virtue of Customs and Excise Act 1952 (c. 44), Sch. 10 Pt. IWords substituted by virtue of S.R & O.1924/1370 (Rev. V, p. 443: 1924, p. 228), art. 1, Crown Estate Act 1956 (c. 73), s. 1(7) and Crown Estate Act 1961 (c. 55), Sch. 2 para. 4(1)S. 4A inserted (20.5.1999) by 1998 c. 46, s. 125, Sch. 8 para. 2(5); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 2(2), Sch. 4Words in s. 5 repealed (5.11.1993) by 1993 c. 50, s. 1(1), Sch. 1, Pt. I.Words in s. 5 substituted (20.5.1999) by 1998 c. 46, s. 125, Sch. 8 para. 2(6);S.I. 1998/3178, art. 2(2), Sch. 4S. 6 repealed by Statute Law Revision Act 1875 (c. 66)Act applied (4.4.2011) by Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011 (c. 4), s. 29, Sch. 1 para. 7(2)(b); S.I. 2011/892, Sch. 2S. 4(1): s. 4 renumbered as s. 4(1) (S.) (16.2.2017) by The Crown Estate Scotland (Interim Management) Order 2017 (S.S.I. 2017/36), arts. 1(1), 22(2)S. 4(2) inserted (S.) (16.2.2017) by The Crown Estate Scotland (Interim Management) Order 2017 (S.S.I. 2017/36), arts. 1(1), 22(3)Words in s. 4(2) substituted (S.) (1.4.2020) by Scottish Crown Estate Act 2019 (asp 1), s. 46(2), sch. 1 para. 1; S.S.I. 2020/77, reg. 2(1), sch. 1