Criminal Verdicts (Scotland) Bill

# Criminal Verdicts (Scotland) Bill Scottish criminal law has long permitted juries to return three possible verdicts: guilty, not guilty, or not proven. The not proven verdict, unique to Scotland, allows juries to acquit a defendant when they are not sufficiently convinced of guilt but harbour doubts, rather than being entirely satisfied of innocence. This bill addresses long-standing debate about whether the not proven verdict serves justice effectively or creates confusion and inconsistency. Campaigners and victim advocates have argued that the verdict can leave cases in an uncomfortable middle ground, potentially frustrating victims and witnesses while raising questions about public confidence in the criminal justice system. The bill would abolish the not proven verdict, leaving juries with only two options: guilty or not guilty. This represents a significant simplification of Scottish verdicts in line with practice in England, Wales, and most other jurisdictions. The mechanism involves amending the relevant provisions of criminal procedure law to remove the legal basis for returning not proven verdicts in future trials. The practical effect would require juries to make a clearer binary choice: either they are satisfied beyond reasonable doubt of guilt, or they are not—with no intermediate verdict available. As a Member's Bill, its progress through the Scottish Parliament would depend on achieving sufficient support among MSPs and government backing to advance through the legislative process.

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