Lord Gryffon King of Arms

The Lord Gryffon King of Arms, the head of Gryffon Court, is the most junior of the Great Officers of State in Victoria and is the Victorian official with responsibility for regulating heraldy, issuing new grants of arms, and serving as the judge of the Court of the Lord Gryffon, the only heraldic court in the Micras.

The post has been a hereditary title passed down through the Dukes of Dundas since 1891.

Responsibilities

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