Trial by jury in Scotland - wikipedia Trial by jury in Scotland Part of a series on Scots law Administration Justice and Communities Directorate of the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Justice Judicial Appointments Board Judicial Complaints Reviewer Parole Board for Scotland Legal Aid Board Courts & Tribunals Service College of Justice Office of the Public Guardian Scottish Sentencing Council Law Commission Criminal Cases Review Commission Prison Service Civil courts Court of Session Lord President Lord Justice Clerk Lord of Session Office of the Accountant of Court Acts of Sederunt Sheriff Court Sheriff Appeal Court Sheriff Principal Sheriff Personal Injury Court Sheriff Criminal courts High Court of Justiciary Lord Justice - General Lord Justice Clerk Lords Commissioner of Justiciary Acts of Adjournal Sheriff courts Sheriff Appeal Court Sheriff Principal Sheriffs Justice of the peace courts Justices of the peace Special courts Court of the Lord Lyon Lord Lyon King of Arms Children 's Reporter Administration Children 's Hearings Land Court Lands Tribunal Scottish Solicitors ' Discipline Tribunal Criminal prosecution Lord Advocate Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service Advocate Depute Procurator fiscal Fiscal fine Precognition Legal profession Judiciary Faculty of Advocates Advocate Law Society Solicitor - Advocate Solicitor Association of Commercial Attorneys Scottish Legal Complaints Commission Trial by jury in Scotland is used in the courts of Scotland in solemn procedure for trial on indictment before a judge and jury of fifteen for serious criminal cases, and in certain civil cases ( mainly personal injury claims. ) In criminal trials conviction is on the basis of a majority verdict, with eight jurors required to decide that the accused is guilty ; should fewer than eight jurors declare a guilty verdict then the accused is acquitted. Thus, a hung jury is an impossibility in Scottish criminal law, but in civil trials a hung jury is possible. Some people were executed on majority verdicts in Scotland, such as Susan Newell, who had one juror dissenting. Criminal procedure in Scotland is generally regulated by the Criminal Procedure ( Scotland ) Act 1995 ( as amended ) and various Acts of Adjournal passed by the High Court of Justiciary. Under Scots law a jury in a criminal trial must have at least fifteen jurors for a case to continue, and at least eight jurors must declare guilt into order to convict. The jury has a choice of three verdicts : guilty ( a conviction ), not guilty ( acquittal ) and not proven ( also acquittal ). The pool of potential jurors is chosen purely at random, and Scottish courts have set themselves against any form of jury vetting. Contents 1 History 2 Eligibility 3 Selection of jurors ( criminal cases ) 4 References 5 External links History During World War II the Administration of Justice ( Emergency Provisions ) ( Scotland ) Act 1939 provided that both civil and criminal juries would have seven members, of whom two would be special members, except for trials for treason or murder, or where a case in the High Court of Justiciary required the regular jury of fifteen on the `` gravity of matters in issue ''. Eligibility The rules of eligibility for jury service are broadly similar to England, but people with legal experience ( such as solicitors, advocates, or court clerks ) are excluded, as are those who have been involved in the justice system, including, but not limited to, police officers ( both serving and retired ), medical forensic practitioners and coroners, and prison officers. Those who meet all of the following criteria are eligible for jury service : British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens on the Electoral Register ; aged 18 or over ; ordinarily resident in the UK, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for any period of at least 5 years since the age of 13 ; and not disqualified for whatever reason. Selection of jurors ( criminal cases ) In criminal cases, there need to be at least 30 potential jurors present in the court for the balloting of a jury to begin. The names of the potential jurors are written on paper slips and drawn out of a glass bowl in open court by the clerk. The jurors then take the oath collectively and swear by `` almighty God '' without using any religious text. Those who prefer to affirm then do so collectively. References Jump up ^ Chalmers, James ( 22 May 2008 ). `` Jury numbers : some recent history ''. criminalletters.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2017. External links Information for jurors in Scotland Text of the Criminal Procedure ( Scotland ) Act 1995 The Modern Scottish Jury in Criminal Trials hide Jury - related articles Primary articles Jury trial Coroner 's jury Grand jury ( Indictment ) Petit jury Jury instructions Specific finding Deliberation Hung jury Jury nullification Jury tampering Jury research Jury stress Jury selection Change of venue Death - qualified jury All - white jury Peremptory challenge Strike for cause Scientific jury selection Struck jury Specific jurisdictions Canada England and Wales Japan Scotland United States ( U.S. military ) Groups Fully Informed Jury Association Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trial_by_jury_in_Scotland&oldid=816049013 '' Categories : Scottish criminal law Juries in the United Kingdom Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 18 December 2017, at 22 : 42 ( UTC ). 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Question: how many members form a jury in scotland
Answer: at least fifteen