Juries

High Court jury trials are to restart in July, the Lord Justice Clerk, Lady Dorrian has announced. Lady Dorrian is leading a working group with representatives from across the justice sector on recommencing jury trials during the lockdown.

The head of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service has told Holyrood's Justice Committee that judge-only trials were “not completely off the table”. The Scottish government's original proposals along these lines were met with a furious backlash. Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf thereaft

The Society of Solicitor Advocates has expressed opposition to the suggestion by the Scottish government that juries be abolished in solemn trials for the duration of the coronavirus emergency. The option, which was tabled again by the Scottish government last week but which is not expected to appea

Despite a furious backlash from the legal profession, the Scottish government is still actively considering the suspension of jury trials.

The Scottish government is attempting to give ministers the power to allow solemn trials to be conducted without juries and to "dismantle in one fell swoop more than 600 years of legal principle" in a move described as a "knee-jerk reaction" at best and something "far more sinister" at worst. The Sc