0 ore 21 min, 17 sett 2025 anni - Scottish Legal Reforms

Descrizione:

Plans to scrap Scotland's controversial not proven verdict have been approved by MSPs.

The move is part of wide-ranging justice reforms which will also increase the threshold for a guilty verdict in jury trials and create a special sexual offences court.

The removal of the not proven verdict, which is unique to Scottish courts and can be traced back to the 17th Century, will be a major milestone in the country's legal history.

Its supporters argue that it reduces the risk of wrongful conviction – but critics say the verdict is confusing and fails to provide closure for victims.

The reforms were included in the government's Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, which passed by 71 votes to 46.

Not proven is one of three verdicts that can be returned in Scotland's criminal courts, alongside guilty and not guilty.

It has the same effect as being found not guilty - the accused is acquitted and is innocent in the eyes of the law.

There have been repeated calls to abolish not proven in recent decades, often prompted by families of victims who have been left aggrieved by what they perceive as an unfair verdict.

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