Mitchell Library

Stuart Johnstone, Dr Hayley Ness, Tony Lenehan KC, Dr James Munro and Dr Lee Curley - Conviction or Acquittal: You Decide

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Tickets: £13.44 (£12 ticket price with a £1.44 booking fee)

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Dates and times: Saturday 27th May 2023
3:00pm
Age: Adult
Venue: Mitchell Library

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The Open University is pleased to support Glasgow Life's Aye Write Book Festival 2023.

The controversial ‘not proven’ verdict is to be scrapped by the Scottish judicial system. Is this a positive development for law and justice in Scotland?

Join us for an interactive, immersive mock trial exploring the verdicts available to jurors in Scotland followed by a panel discussion. There will be an emphasis on examining the ‘not proven’ verdict, and assessing its impact on trials and convictions.

Edinburgh-based crime writer and OU alumni Stuart Johnstone, who spent many years working as a police officer, will open the session with a reading of one of his short stories that helps to set the context for what follows.

Then the audience will be split up into ‘juries’ and be presented with evidence as if for real. The juries will deliberate, and deliver their verdict to Dr Lee Curley, a psychologist with The Open University who is an expert in the complexities of jury decision making and will present talking points from his research into the not proven verdict, and the influences and biases that might be at play.

Then follows an open panel discussion on the merits of the case we’ve all just deliberated on, the not proven verdict and an audience Q&A. Our expert panel will be made up of academics, writers, and members of the legal community:

- Stuart Johnstone, crime writer and former police officer

- Dr Hayley Ness, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the Open University

- Tony Lenehan, KC

- Dr James Munro, Lecturer in Psychology at the Open University

We end with a short demonstration of the OU’s “World of Jury Decision Making Hub” where you can follow up your interest with a range of free and accessible resources.

Sponsored by The Open University in Scotland

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We also have a supply of books in Braille, large print and audio.

Accessible toilets

This accessible toilet is approximately 26m (28yd 1ft) from the main entrance. This accessible toilet is located to the rear right as you enter.

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