[2] He then spent a year as Bigelow Fellow at the University of Chicago, where he met his future wife, Rima Elisa Ripoll, who is from Panama.

[2] Scott was appointed a judge of the High Court of Justice in 1983,[1] sitting in the Chancery Division, and received the customary knighthood.

[3][2] From 1987 to 1991, he held the office of Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster,[4] which has responsibility for overseeing Chancery business in the North of England.

[5] He retired from this post on 30 September 2009, and did not transfer along with the other Lords of Appeal of ordinary to the new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

The vacancy on the bench his retirement created was filled by Lord Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony, previously Master of the Rolls.