Principle of policing by consent: FOI release

Information requested

Could you please confirm that Scotland operates under the ethos of governance by consent and policing by consent? Could you also please confirm that as far as the law goes, a living man or woman is innocent until proven guilty?

Response

The answer to your questions are confirmed and the relationship between the police service and the people of Scotland is built on the fundamental principle of policing by consent. This principle ensures that it is public approval that provides Police Scotland with a legitimacy and that is vital in ensuring there is trust and confidence in the police. Furthermore it is the case under Scots criminal law that a person is innocent of any crime until such time as a criminal court either finds them guilty of an offence or a person pleads guilty to an offence. For a court to find a person guilty of a criminal offence, they must be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt they committed the offence through the evidence offered in a criminal trial. This is the standard of proof used in criminal cases.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.