In the spring of 1591, the legal machinery of the Scottish state focused its attention upon Jonet Fairlie, a resident of the burgh of Haddington. The historical record identifies Jonet as the subject of judicial proceedings under case file C/EGD/116, marking her as one of the many individuals caught within the expanding administrative reach of the witchcraft statutes during the late sixteenth century. Her appearance before the courts signifies a moment of institutional scrutiny, placing her at the intersection of local community tension and the formal mechanisms of criminal justice that defined the era.
Following her initial designation in the case files, Jonet became the subject of two distinct legal sessions recorded in the archives under T/LA/1677 and T/LA/1678. These entries underscore the persistence of the proceedings, documenting the transition of her case through the formal trial process. While the records provide a stark outline of her encounter with the judicial authorities of Haddington, they preserve the procedural reality of her situation, situating Jonet within the complex legal framework established by the Witchcraft Act of 1563.