Verdict

This is the decision reached at the end of a trial. There are three verdicts in Scotland: guilty; not guilty; and not proven (When commenced, section 66 of the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 will abolish the not proven verdict).

Guilty means that the accused was found to have committed the crime(s) and not guilty means that the accused was not found to have committed the crime(s). Not proven has the same result as ‘not guilty’ which means the accused is acquitted and cleared of the offence.