Rethink Double Jeopardy

In 2004 Kathleen Boyle was lost to a Dangerous Driver, The Verdict of the Criminal Case was a Not Proven, an Acquittal. Later on in Civil Court it was shown he had been lying and many people agreed he was guilty of causing death by dangerous driving – Yet due to Double Jeopardy my family will never see the justice we deserve.

In Scotland the rule of Double Jeopardy has recently been through change, but not enough as the changes according to one procurator fiscal will only effect one case every five years. The threshold is extremely high.

Double Jeopardy prevents a person from being taken back to court, to give them 'peace of mind'. However, for those of us who are seeking justice, only to have been met with an unjust court case, we do not get another chance to prove their guilt – even if in civil court they admit it, or are found to be lying.

Those criminals who do get convicted, can appeal against their conviction. Yet families who have lost a loved one, and have gotten absolutely no justice at all due to lies or flaws all the way through a criminal court case get ignored and cannot appeal against an acquittal.

We put out faith in the law, we rely upon it to be fair and balanced, yet the criminal has more rights, the defendant seems to have more rights than the family who has just lost a loved one at their hands.

Double Jeopardy should be reviewed with such families and cases in mind.

( For more Information - http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2011/03/22142941 )