It's too late for Grace but I hope this Bill will give justice to others

Dad of ecstasy victim welcomes planned change to give families closure by ditching third option

- SALLY HIND

THE dad of ecstasy death schoolgirl Grace Handling has said it is time to finally scrap the "lazy and convenient" not proven verdict.

Stewart Handling was among the families of victims who yesterday welcomed a new Bill that looks set to dump it from Scots law.

He could only watch as the man who gave his 13-year-old daughter the drugs that killed her walked free from court in 2020 thanks to the verdict.

A proposal to abolish Scotland's three-verdict system is in a new Bill published by the Scottish Government which could see the most radical shake-up of the justice system in decades.

Critics have argued that scrapping the verdict could lead to a rise in miscarriages of justice.

But Stewart, from Irvine, Ayrshire, who was one of hundreds to respond to the Bill's consultation process, believes it will secure justice for more families.