Corroboration: The Debate

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Date / time
Date(s) - 23/01/2014
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Location
DLA Piper Scotland

Categories


Legislation currently before the Scottish Parliament proposes abolishing the long-standing requirement for evidence in criminal cases to be corroborated by independent sources.

The Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill includes the proposal, recommended in Lord Carloway’s 2011 review of criminal procedure in Scotland.

Lord Carloway, the Lord Justice Clerk, described corroboration as ‘ … an archaic rule that has no place in a modern legal system’. For Lord Gill, the Lord President, it is ‘one of [Scotland law’s] finest features … our criminal system is rooted in the idea of fairness and corroboration is … a critical element in that’.

This evening event brings together invited experts and interested parties from a range of perspectives for an open exploration of the issues, with a view to ensuring that the Scottish Parliament can consider this vital matter fully informed when it debates the bill in February.

Speakers

  • Lord Hope of Craighead(Chair), recently retired Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court
  • Frank Mulholland QC, Lord Advocate
  • Gordon Jackson QC, leading criminal defence QC

The event is followed by a drinks reception hosted by DLA Piper Scotland LLP