Scottish Government Cancels Juryless Rape Trials Pilot After Legal Backlash

The controversial proposal to replace juries with judges in rape cases was abandoned due to widespread opposition from legal professionals and lack of political support.

The Scottish government withdrew plans for judge-only rape trials following intense criticism from the legal community and human rights concerns.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance cited insufficient cross-party support as the reason for not proceeding with the pilot scheme, initially planned for 2028.
Legal bodies argued that the proposal threatened the fundamental right to a fair trial and could lead to wrongful convictions.
The initiative aimed to address low conviction rates in rape cases, attributed to jurors being influenced by 'rape myths'.
Despite dropping the pilot, the government will continue with other reforms, including abolishing the 'not proven' verdict and researching jury decision-making.