Need for corroboration is not medieval

The Scottish Government-commissioned review which recommends abolishing the need for corroboration in criminal trials ironically provides the final and conclusive evidence, if it were needed, that Scotland is heading towards banana republic status (your report, 18 November).

To describe one of Scots law’s most prized guarantees of fairness and justice as “medieval” and “archaic” shows how hyperbole is being cynically used to drive through politically motivated change and shows once again how easily an independent Scotland will be subject to policy changes driven by vocal but minority interest groups.

Rape is a heinous crime, but to sacrifice a fundamental and precious feature of our judicial system to a foolish and simplistically appealing “dumbing down” of the evidential requirements for proving guilt is symptomatic of the drift over two parliaments at Holyrood towards the politics of the nursery playground. The same could be said of the assault on freedom of speech and religious expression represented by the Scottish Government’s so-called anti-sectarianism bill.

Politicians have stirred up occasional singing of risible songs at football games into a national (and now international) shame – all for their own benefit in looking tough and saintly.

If this is what we can expect from an all-powerful Alex Salmond administration at Holyrood just think what he and the SNP have in mind for us in the “independence-light” era which looms, let alone full independence.

Philip Lardner

Erskine

Renfrewshire

It should be noted that it is well established that offences, peripheral to the main charge, do not require corroboration unless challenged by the defence.

A Haughney

Lady Road

Edinburgh