§ Lord Monsonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have considered altering the law so as to enable juries in England and Wales to return "not proven" verdicts, on the Scottish model.
Earl FerrersWe have no plans to introduce "not proven" verdicts in England and Wales, because we believe they would unhelpfully blur the distinction, between guilty and not guilty. Different provisions apply in Scotland for historical reasons and because the law there is different, specifically in requiring that testimony be corroborated by a second person, as well as in other respects.