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Lord advocate reassures rape victims after Scottish ruling
The Guardian
|November 17, 2025
Scotland’s most senior law officer has moved to reassure victims of sexual abuse that they will be protected after a supreme court ruling warned Scottish laws designed to limit intrusive cross-examination could be breaching men’s right to a fair trial.
In a strongly worded statement, the lord advocate, Dorothy Bain KC, said: “I would like to make clear that I understand sexual abuse inflicted upon women and children to be the single greatest challenge our justice system faces.
“It is unacceptable and victims should feel able to speak out without further fear. The supreme court ruling does not alter the statutory protections for those giving evidence.”
This story is from the November 17, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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