Lord Gryffon King of Arms

The Lord Gryffon King of Arms, the head of Gryffon Court, was the most junior of the Great Officers of State in the Victorian Empire and was the Victorian official with responsibility for regulating heraldry, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Gryffon, the only heraldic court on Micras at the time.

The post was a hereditary title passed down through the Dukes of Dundas since 1450.

Responsibilities

The Lord Gryffon was responsible for overseeing state ceremonial in Victoria, for the granting of new Coat of Arms to persons or organisations, and for confirming proven pedigrees and claims to existing arms.

As Gryffon Court was a government department, fees paid for granting coats of arms are paid to the Royal Government in Gotzborg. The misuse of arms was a criminal offence in Victoria, and treated as tax evasion. Prosecutions were brought before Gryffon Court, Lord Gryffon being the sole judge. Appeals from the Gryffon Court could have been made to the High Court in Lonenberg. There was no appeal if the Lord Gryffon refused to grant a coat of arms, as this was not a judicial function, but an exercise of his Ministerial function, although an appeal by way of judicial review may have succeeded if it could be shown that the Lord Gryffon acted unreasonably.