Scottish parliament scraps legal verdict of ‘not proven’

Third option for juries thought to be key factor in country’s lower conviction rates for rape and sexual assault abolished

The Scottish verdict of “not proven” – a global legal anomaly thought to be a key factor in the country’s significantly lower convictions rate for rape and sexual assault – has been abolished.

MSPs agreed to scrap the unique Scottish verdict as they voted through a series of major reforms that Angela Constance, the justice secretary, said “put victims and witnesses at the heart of a modern and fair justice system”.