Any change of verdicts must be consistent with principles of Scottish justice system

Fundamental principles of the Scottish criminal justice system must be maintained in any change to the current three verdict options.

A number of political parties competing in the Scottish Parliament elections have set out plans to remove the not proven verdict available to juries in criminal cases in Scotland.

Law Society of Scotland President Amanda Millar, said: "Any change to the verdicts in a criminal trial must be consistent with the principles of the Scottish criminal justice system that recognise the presumption of innocence, maintain the rights of all those involved and minimises the risk of a miscarriage of justice. Scottish Jury Research published in 2019 gives useful insights into how juries reach their verdict in criminal trials, including the potential impact of removing the not proven verdict, and will be important to consider in any review. The Law Society looks forward to taking part in discussions on this important issue.”