Question reference: S5W-25714
- Asked by: Jenny Gilruth, MSP for Mid Fife and Glenrothes, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 8 October 2019
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Current status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 October 2019
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the findings of the independent jury research that it commissioned will be published.
Answer
The independent jury research commissioned by the Scottish Government will be published on the Scottish Government website on 9 October 2019.
This research is the largest and most realistic of its kind ever undertaken in the UK. It is the first mock jury research project to consider the unique Scottish jury system with 15 jurors, three verdicts and a simple majority.
The work was conducted by a team of research and legal experts from Ipsos MORI, Professors James Chalmers and Fiona Leverick from the University of Glasgow and Professor Vanessa Munro from the University of Warwick.
The Scottish Government will now engage widely to seek views on the research findings and any implications for other criminal justice reforms. I want this engagement to cover all the main findings of the report - which includes specific findings on the not proven verdict - and seek views on what this may mean for potential future changes.
In considering any future package of reforms it will be important to consider the unique Scottish criminal justice system in the round.