Scotch verdict

noun

1. a verdict of not proven: acceptable in certain cases in Scottish criminal law.

2. any inconclusive decision or declaration.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Scotch verdict¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

It is like the old Scotch verdict when a man was tried for larceny.

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“What is a Scotch verdict, Guardian?”

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But the prosecutor's exoneration of Donovan was something like the Scotch verdict of "not proven."

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As I recall it, they never proved that it did, or at best reached a Scotch verdict.

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We know it is very much like the Scotch verdict of "non proven," but still there is no doubt among fair-minded men.

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