Legal intelligence to lead, innovate & grow.

Want to get your daily slice of Legal knowledge to your inbox? Sign up now

Legal Matters Scotland helps you stay ahead of the essential legal news shaping your profession. Every weekday, our unique blend of AI, legal experts and researchers monitor 100,000s of articles to share a summary of the most relevant and useful content to help you lead, innovate and grow.

From corporate law to practice management, legal cases, legislation and in-house news. Legal Matters is the only trusted online news source in Scotland dedicated to covering current headlines, articles, reports and interviews to make sure you’re at the forefront of changes in the Scottish legal industry.

LMS banner
Recent Editions
 
rc-recent-lms
Legal Matters
Scotland
Scotland's not proven verdict to be scrapped

MSPs have voted to abolish Scotland's centuries-old 'not proven' verdict as part of sweeping justice reforms. The change, passed by 71 votes to 46 within the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill, marks a major shift in the legal system. The reforms will also raise the threshold for jury convictions and introduce a dedicated sexual offences court. Other measures include a victims and witnesses commissioner, stricter rules on complainers’ sexual history, and stronger parole conditions for murderers who withhold victims' remains. A pilot giving sexual assault victims free access to court transcripts will also become permanent. The Law Society of Scotland welcomed some changes, such as automatic lifelong anonymity for victims, but cautioned that untested reforms could increase miscarriages of justice, noting Scotland will now allow convictions even when several jurors have significant doubts.

Full Issue
 
top-shadow
Read the latest Legal highlights