Scottish legal system

The Scottish legal system is distinct and operates independently from the legal systems of England and Wales. It is based on a combination of statutes (laws passed by Parliament), common law (laws developed through court decisions), and civil law influences. There are three main types of courts: the Supreme Court (which handles the most serious cases), the High Court, and the Sheriff Courts, which deal with less serious matters. The system emphasizes the importance of precedent, where past decisions guide future cases, and includes a unique feature called "not proven" in jury verdicts, alongside "guilty" and "not guilty."