{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/act-of-sederunt-messengers-at-arms-and-sheriff-officers-rules-1991/article-9",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/act-of-sederunt-messengers-at-arms-and-sheriff-officers-rules-1991/article-9.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1991/1397",
  "legislation_title": "Act of Sederunt (Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers Rules) 1991",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/act-of-sederunt-messengers-at-arms-and-sheriff-officers-rules-1991",
  "path": "article/9",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "9",
  "heading": "Caution and professional indemnity insurance",
  "text": "(1) An officer of court and any partnership of officers of court shall be covered by–\n(a) a bond of caution to the value of not less than £50,000 in respect of each claim covering each commission held by each officer of court to whom the bond of caution applies as a sheriff officer and, where applicable, as a messenger-at-arms, and\n(b) a policy of professional indemnity insurance for not less than £100,000 in respect of each claim–\n(i) in the case of an officer of court, covering each commission held by him as a sheriff officer and, where applicable, as a messenger-at-arms, and any employee of the officer of court; and\n(ii) in the case of a partnership of officers of court, covering the firm, any partner of the firm in respect of each commission held by him as a sheriff officer and, where applicable, as a messenger-at-arms, and any employee of the firm.\n(2) The bond of caution and policy of professional indemnity insurance required under paragraph (1) above shall be incorporated in a single document and shall be–\n(a) in such terms as may be approved by the sheriffs principal and the Lord Lyon;\n(b) obtained from a company on the list of guarantee companies approved by the Lord President under rule 200(e)(iv) of the Rules of the Court of Session; and\n(c) renewed annually.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "S.I. 1965/321."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "am",
      "affecting": "ssi/2005/199",
      "affecting_title": "Act of Sederunt (Messengers-at-Arms and Sheriff Officers Rules Amendment) (Caution and Insurance) 2005"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1991/1397/article/9",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T14:42:44.836530+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}