Submitted by:
Keith Brown,
Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party.
Date lodged:
Tuesday, 14 December 2021
Motion reference: S6M-02553.3
Current status:Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, 16 December 2021
As an amendment to motion S6M-02553 in the name of Jamie Greene (Ending the Not Proven Verdict), leave out from “believes” to end and insert “recognises concerns held by many about the current three verdict system, including issues raised in independent jury research that suggest jurors may have inconsistent views on the meaning and effect of the not proven verdict; further recognises the concerns raised by the complainers of particularly heinous crimes, including gender-based violence, rape and domestic abuse, that the not proven verdict is more often applied in crimes of rape and attempted rape compared to other crimes; notes the strong case that can be made for the abolition of the not proven verdict; further notes that the Scottish jury system is a complex, inter-related system and that verdicts must be considered alongside other key aspects of jury size, majority and corroboration, and against the background of wider, related work, including the recommendations of the Lord Justice Clerk’s review on the management of sexual offence cases, and encourages all those with an interest to consider and respond to the current Scottish Government consultation on the not proven verdict and related reforms.”
Vote
Result91 for, 27 against, 0 abstained, 11 did not voteVote Passed