- Ad vitam aut culpam
Ad vitam aut culpum is a Latin phrase found in
Scots law which meaning "for life or until fault" [ cite web|title=Ad vitam aut culpum| url=http://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/brewers/ad-vitam-aut-culpam.html|publisher=http://www.infoplease.com/ |accessdate=2007-11-16] which guarantees the right of a Sheriff Depute (judge) to hold office permanently or until they forfeit such by misconduct. TheHeritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746 used the phrase to guarantee a Sheriff's term office after they have held office for seven years. [ Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1746 cite web|title=Stewart v. Secretary of State for Scotland.|url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199798/ldjudgmt/jd980122/stewart.htm|publisher=Office of Public Sector Information |accessdate=2007-11-16]The applicability of this law was decided upon by the House of Lords in the case "Stewart v. Secretary of State For Scotland" where it was stated this it did not protect a Sheriff from dismissal for "inability". Further Acts of Parliament empowered the
Lord President of the Court of Session and theLord Justice Clerk to remove Sheriffs from office due to a personal inability to complete their function - differentiated from a mental incapacity or incapacity due to age. Therefore, ad vitam aut culpum has a limited applicability which does protect an office from dismissal if they are incompetent.References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.