# Criminal law procedings  (Scotland) - the Bastard verdict

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-law-procedings-scotland-the-bastard-verdict/546644>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 14, 2010, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-law-procedings-scotland-the-bastard-verdict/546644 "2010-07-14T09:40:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\
**Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-law-procedings-scotland-the-bastard-verdict/546644/21 "2010-07-15T17:33:54Z")

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> [@Mk\_VII](#):
>
> “We think you probably did it, but we’ll give you the benefit of the doubt”.  
> At one time there was a TV show called, IIRC, _Murder Not Proven_ which dramatised cases from the [remote] past that had resulted in this uncommon verdict.

Not so uncommon, according to this [Parliamentary research document (PDF)](http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=7&ved=0CDwQFjAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.parliament.uk%2Fbriefingpapers%2Fcommons%2Flib%2Fresearch%2Fbriefings%2Fsnha-02710.pdf&ei=P0U_TL73Ct3NjAfh5dGIBw&usg=AFQjCNFQvvBJjML11gn8GiwaRLgfzgjPbQ&sig2=aq8S4J8phr_Pii25pdh7Qg)

> [@](#):
>
> It is interesting to note that the not proven verdict is used in one third of acquittals by juries, and in one fifth of acquittals in non-jury trials. Because of the higher number of non-jury trials ninety per cent of all not proven verdicts are returned in such cases.

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**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-law-procedings-scotland-the-bastard-verdict/546644/22 "2010-07-16T12:25:51Z")

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Interesting footnote on p3, **Baron**!  
‘One option was to retain the not proven but abolish the not guilty verdict’  
Later expanded on a couple of pages later.

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