Not Proven

David Lorimer comments on JUSTICE Scotland's views of last year's mock jury research, which cast doubt on its value as a basis for reform of Scotland's three-verdict system. JUSTICE Scotland has now submitted its response to the Scottish government on the recent Mock Jury Research findings. Whilst n

The Scottish government is hosting a series of engagement events across the country to seek views from the legal profession, third sector, and people with experience of the justice system, on the findings and any implications its jury research may have for future criminal justice reforms. The Scotti

The latest episode of the University of Glasgow School of Law podcast features Professors Fiona Leverick and James Chalmers discussing their findings for the Scottish Jury Research Project with Dr Alan Brown. Commissioned by the Scottish government, the research was undertaken jointly with Prof

The First Minister is to be asked to back calls for the abolition of the not proven verdict. Nicola Sturgeon will meet rape victim Miss M, who has campaigned for Scotland's third verdict to be removed since her case against a man whom she accused of raping her was found not proven.

Removing the not proven verdict from Scots law as it stands will increase the likelihood of miscarriages of justice, an academic has warned. Speaking to Scottish Legal News, David Lorimer, a PhD candidate at Aberdeen University who applies a quantitatively analytical approach to criminal law, said t

Lawyers have sounded a note of caution over making fundamental changes to criminal trials following the publication of a report into jury behaviour and the use of the ‘not proven’ verdict. John Scott QC told Scottish Legal News that the research commissioned by the Scottish government &l

Major research into how juries reach decisions and how they are influenced by factors including the size of the jury, the number of verdicts available and the type of majority required has been published. The UK's largest ever mock jury study was commissioned by the Scottish government to inform the

There is no basis for the belief that abolishing the ‘not proven’ verdict in Scots law will lead to more people being found guilty of rape and could in fact result in "rogue convictions", leading criminal lawyers have told Scottish Legal News. Responding to Gordon Jackson QC’s sugg

The Dean of the Faculty of Advocates has called for the 'not proven' verdict to be abolished and for Scotland's jury system to be reformed. Gordon Jackson QC told The Times that the single-vote majority of eight-to-seven could lead to miscarriages of justice.