A Dean of Guild, under Scots law, was one of a group of burgh

magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...

s who, in later years, had the care of buildings. The leader of the group was known as Lord Dean of Guild. Originally, the post was held by the head of the

Guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

brethren of Scottish towns, and dates back to the 12th century. Later, the phrase ''Dean of Guild'' also described the

courts A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accorda ...

set up in the 14th century to settle trade disputes. In the 19th century they became responsible for enforcing the burgh's building regulations, a role that was replaced in the mid 20th century by statutory legislation. This should not be confused with the Dean of a guild, the head of such association.

References

External links

The Court of Deans of Guild of Scotland website
Scots law general titles Burghs Historical legal occupations {{job-stub