MSPs vote for not proven

MSPs have rejected a proposal to scrap Scotland’s not-proven verdict and to increase the majority required for conviction by jury to two-thirds.

The Criminal Verdicts (Scotland) Bill would have reduced the available verdicts to simply guilty or not guilty, and increased the number of jurors required for a verdict from a simple majority to a “qualified majority” of at least two-thirds.

Labour MSP Michael McMahon, who drafted the bill, said the prelegislative consultation he conducted found a majority in favour of scrapping not proven.