Analyses the recent, sweeping changes to Scottish criminal evidence law and what they entail

Scottish criminal evidence law has recently undergone major, primarily reactive changes, with more reform on the way. These ad hoc developments are fundamentally altering the basic principles of Scottish criminal evidence which have been in place since the 19th century. This book gathers leading experts in the field to analyse these changes, discern any patterns and ask what the ramifications are for the future of Scottish criminal evidence law.

The areas affected include: police questioning of suspects, the treatment of vulnerable witnesses in court, hearsay, the admissibility of the accused’s previous convictions, the Crown’s duty of disclosure and the need for corroboration.

Key Features

• The only complete analysis of recent major changes to Scottish criminal evidence law
• Considers the likely future direction of criminal evidence law reform in Scotland
• Adopts a theoretical and comparative perspective and a socio-legal approach to Scottish criminal evidence law
• Evaluates theoretical models of criminal procedure

Contributors

Derek P. Auchie, Senior Lecturer (Scholarship), University of Aberdeen

Ilona Cairns, Lecturer, University of Aberdeen

Liz Campbell, Professor of Criminal Law, University of Durham

James Chalmers, Regius Professor of Law, University of Glasgow

Sharon Cowan, Professor of Feminist and Queer Legal Studies, University of Edinburgh

Fraser P. Davidson, Professor Emeritus, University of Stirling

Peter Duff, Professor of Criminal Justice, University of Aberdeen

Pamela R. Ferguson, Professor of Scots Law, University of Dundee

Fiona Leverick, Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice

Gerry Maher QC, Professor of Criminal Law, University of Edinburgh

Claire McDiarmid, Reader, University of Strathclyde

Donald Nicolson, Professor of Law, University of Strathclyde

Shona W. Stark, Fellow in Law at Christ's College, Cambridge