The importance of corroboration is a unique feature of Scots criminal law.[1] A cornerstone of Scots law, the requirement for corroborating evidence means at least two different and independent sources of evidence are required in support of each crucial fact before a defendant can be convicted of a crime.[2] This means, for example, that an admission of guilt by the accused is insufficient evidence to convict in Scotland, because that evidence needs to be corroborated by another source.
However, testimony from some experts, such as coroners or doctors, is accepted by courts on the basis of the expert's report alone, therefore requiring no corroboration.
Following the Cadder ruling in 2010, Lord Carloway was appointed to lead a review of of the corroboration rule.
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As a legal system founded on civil law principals, evidence in Scots law is normally studied as a branch of procedural law.