this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2025
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Olap@lemmy.world
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Why is Scotland's not proven verdict being abolished? (www.bbc.co.uk)
submitted 2 days ago by Olap@lemmy.world to c/scotland@lemmy.world
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A shame imo, destroying our cultural differences and turning our world yet more rigid in our thinking. The third verdict allowed for nuance that a justice system often lacks. Lots of sensible ideas in here though, lots of change indeed. Super majorities on juries a powerful statement, prosecution must have a very compelling case. Though, I suspect there are but a few hung juries anyway in Scotland so as to be mostly academic

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[–] Skua@kbin.earth 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'm alright with dropping it, honestly. Our standards for law have improved a lot since the 18th century and I'd say we probably ought not to be legally drawing a distinction between "not guilty" and "not proven to be guilty but we really think they did it". It's a fun historical curiosity but doesn't, to me, seem to serve a useful purpose in a matter as the conviction of crime these days. I think I'm okay with being rigid over the presumption of innocence within the actual court itself

[–] Olap@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'd rather have proven/not proven language over guilt which is an emotion personally. You can still be guilty without being criminally guilty after all

[–] Skua@kbin.earth 4 points 2 days ago

Surely criminal guilt is the only sort that the courts should be concerned with though? That's how I see it, at least

I'd be fine with calling it proven rather than guilty. It's just the ambiguous third ruling that I mean