Could be interesting

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gmc
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Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2004 9:44 am

Could be interesting

Post by gmc »

'The Murder Trial': Television cameras allowed into British courtroom for the first time for retrial of wife-killer Nat Fraser - Crime - UK - The Independent

If they return a not proven verdict that is. Scots law is different from English law in that in Scots law, a criminal trial may end in one of three verdicts: one of conviction ("guilty") and two of acquittal ("not proven" and "not guilty"). Not proven is where the jury feels there is not enough evidence to convict but have doubts about the innocence of the accused. In a fight for instance where someone is killed but the killer was carrying a knife and used it in self defence and is charged with murder there is an element of premeditation but also doubt as to intent of the killer, the killer is innocent of premeditated murder but not entirely innocent either since he was carrying a weapon. Never mind gins in Scotland carrying a knife is an arrestable offence potentially carrying a jail sentence.

There are also 15 jurors and a simple majority is all that is required.
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Bryn Mawr
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Joined: Mon Feb 27, 2006 4:54 pm

Could be interesting

Post by Bryn Mawr »

gmc;1430830 wrote: 'The Murder Trial': Television cameras allowed into British courtroom for the first time for retrial of wife-killer Nat Fraser - Crime - UK - The Independent

If they return a not proven verdict that is. Scots law is different from English law in that in Scots law, a criminal trial may end in one of three verdicts: one of conviction ("guilty") and two of acquittal ("not proven" and "not guilty"). Not proven is where the jury feels there is not enough evidence to convict but have doubts about the innocence of the accused. In a fight for instance where someone is killed but the killer was carrying a knife and used it in self defence and is charged with murder there is an element of premeditation but also doubt as to intent of the killer, the killer is innocent of premeditated murder but not entirely innocent either since he was carrying a weapon. Never mind gins in Scotland carrying a knife is an arrestable offence potentially carrying a jail sentence.

There are also 15 jurors and a simple majority is all that is required.


Showing the trial a year after it took place is a useful exercise - it's showing the trial whilst it is still in progress that I find questionable.

As for not proven, it has been known to be returned by an English court even though I'm sure it is not one of the options open to them. I decided to go to court to contest a road traffic offence because the police were out of order in the accusation they were making. I took with me the physical evidence that they were wrong and presented solid proof that I had not done what the paperwork said I had. The result? Not Proven - they could not bring themselves to say Not Guilty :wah:
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