Ceremonial mace presentation
5 Jul 06
Lord Hamilton to receive mace from the Queen
Scotland's principal judge is to receive a new mace today from the Queen.
Lord Hamilton, the Lord Justice General, will be presented with the mace as part of the Queen's 80th birthday engagements in Scotland. Queen Victoria was the last monarch to present a mace. The exchequer mace presented to the Court of Session in 1856 remains in use.
The mace symbolises that judges are acting with the authority of the Crown.
The mace presented in today's ceremony will be used in the criminal appeal court.