Trial by jury in Scotland

rdf:langString Trial by jury in Scotland

rdf:langString Trial by jury in Scotland is used in the courts of Scotland in solemn procedure for trial on indictment before a judge and jury for serious criminal cases, and in certain civil cases (mainly personal injury claims) Criminal procedure in Scotland is generally regulated by the (as amended) and various Acts of Adjournal passed by the High Court of Justiciary. Juries in these cases consist of 15 people; if jurors drop out e.g. because of illness the trial can continue with a minimum of 12 jurors. In criminal trials conviction is on the basis of a majority verdict, with eight jurors required to decide that the accused is guilty; should fewer than eight jurors declare a guilty verdict then the accused is acquitted, so a hung jury is an impossibility in Scottish criminal law. In the past some people were executed on majority verdicts in Scotland, such as Susan Newell, who had one juror dissenting. The jury has a choice of three verdicts: guilty (a conviction), not guilty (acquittal) and not proven (also acquittal). In civil trials there is a jury of 12 people, and a hung jury is possible. The pool of potential jurors is chosen purely at random, and Scottish courts have set themselves against any form of jury vetting.