Court of the Lord Lyon

Court of the Lord Lyon
The arms of office of the Lord Lyon King of Arms
55°57′14″N 3°11′24″W / 55.954°N 3.190°W / 55.954; -3.190
Established	1532; 492 years ago (1532)
Jurisdiction	Scotland
Location	New Register House 3 West Register Street Edinburgh EH1 3YT[1]
Coordinates	55°57′14″N 3°11′24″W / 55.954°N 3.190°W / 55.954; -3.190
Composition method	Appointed by Monarch of the United Kingdom
Authorized by	Lyon King of Arms Act 1592 and subsequent statutes
Appeals to	Civil: Inner House of the Court of Session Criminal: High Court of Justiciary
Website	www.courtofthelordlyon.scot
Lord Lyon King of Arms
Currently	Joseph Morrow CVO CBE KStJ KC
Since	17 January 2014

The Court of the Lord Lyon, or Lyon Court, is a standing court of law, based in New Register House in Edinburgh, which regulates heraldry in Scotland. The Lyon Court maintains the register of grants of arms, known as the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland, as well as records of genealogies.

The Lyon Court is a public body, and the fees for grants of arms are paid to His Majesty's Treasury. It is headed by the Right Honourable the Lord Lyon King of Arms, who must be legally qualified, as he has criminal jurisdiction in heraldic matters, and the court is fully integrated into the Scottish legal system, including having a dedicated prosecutor, known in Scotland as a procurator fiscal.

Its equivalent in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, in terms of awarding arms, is the College of Arms, which is a royal corporation and not a court of law. The High Court of Chivalry is a civil court in England and Wales with jurisdiction over cases dealing with heraldry.