Institutional writings are the works of writers who first brought together the principles of Scots law into legal texts during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. These works are considered a minor formal, or primary, source of Scots law.
Some of the most important works by institutional writers include:
The institutions of the law of Scotland : deduced from its originals, and collated with the civil, canon and feudal laws, and with the customs of neighbouring nations in iv books by An institute of the laws of Scotland in civil rights : with observations upon the agreement or diversity between them and the laws of England. by An institute of the law of Scotland by Commentaries on the law of Scotland respecting crimes by Commentaries on the Law of Scotland by 
You can find and access the works of institutional writers in the same way as other books.
Use SUPrimo to search for by author and title keywords.
This link opens in a new windowInstitutional works are not all arranged in the same way. A work may be comprised of several “books” divided into “chapters” or “titles”; in turn, these may be subdivided into sections or paragraphs. Furthermore, a work may consist of several volumes – each volume may contain more than one “book”.
You may see citations to institutional works in abbreviated form indicating the writer, the work, the book, the title or chapter, and the paragraph or section.
Stair Institutions I, x, 3
| Stair | Institutions | I, | x, | 3 |
| Writer | Work | Book | Title | Paragraph |
For guidance on how to reference in your own work, refer to our Referencing guide: