The Scotsman Cartoon: MacAskill’s U-turn
Kenny MacAskill has made a U-turn in his controversial plans to scrap Scotland’s centuries-old principle of corroboration, delaying the final decision until after the referendum amid mounting criticism from the legal establishment.
A cornerstone of Scots law, corroboration requires two independent pieces of evidence to bring a case to trial.
Supporters of the plan to scrap it, including Frank Mullholland, the Lord Advocate, believe its removal will help bring more offenders to justice, notably in rape and domestic violence cases.
But a number of eminent legal figures have lined up to criticise the proposal.