Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to scrap the verdict of “not proven,” which is unique to Scotland and dates back to the 17th century.
But the Law Society of Scotland said it was “deeply concerned” about the announcement and Thomas Ross, QC, a defence advocate in Glasgow, told The Epoch Times the evidence used to justify the decision did not stack up.
In Scotland there are three possible verdicts open to a jury: guilty, not guilty, or not proven.
Although the consequences of not guilty and not proven are the same—the defendant is acquitted and is released—campaigners have claimed not proven is disproportionately used in rape cases and say it has a harmful effect on rape complainants….