No pruiven

No Pruiven (Not proven in Inglis) is a verdict that can be gien bi a coort in Scotland. Unner Scots law, juries decidin creeminal trials haes three verdicts that thay can retour; Guilty, No guilty an No Pruiven.

The No Pruiven verdict states that the coort hauds the procurator didna pit forrit eneuch evidents o pruif, raither nor that the defender wisna connectit ava wi the crime; the coort is statin that thare's eneuch conseederable dout anent the wytit defender's innocence.

The affcome o this aesome verdict is the same as ane o No Guilty, in that the defender is lowsed athoot punishment or creeminal record. It fends protection frae dooble jeopardy an aa. The effect on public opeinion can be gey different, houaniver, as it suggests that the defender is thocht tae be guilty but wis juist lowsed acause the procurator haedna gaithered eneuch evidents.

An example o this can be fund in 19t century Glesca.  Socialite Madeline Smith is braidly seen as haein been fund guilty o murther. The case wis no pruiven, but Smith is aye popularly thocht o as a convict murtheress.

In the een o the law, a No Pruiven verdict is the same as a No Guilty verdict. Houaniver, a No Pruiven verdict, o coorse, can tache the repute of the defender afore the coort.

Senator Arlen Specter votit No Pruiven in the impeachment o Bill Clinton, citin Scots law. This wis byordinar acause No Pruiven isna a verdict that's tae haund unner Unitit States creeminal or ceevil law. Specter later wrat, "History winna say the preses wisna guilty, altho he wis enteitelt tae acqueetal acause the chairges wisna pruiven at a Senate trial, but historians will sling a deifie tae William Jefferson Clinton's brazen conceit that it wis aa Republican politeicians an a richt-wing conspeeracy."

No Pruiven is aften cryed the Scots (or Scottish, or Scotch) Verdict.

Category:Scots law