Verdict of "dīcere", to say). In a criminal case, the verdict, which may be either "not guilty" or "guilty"—except in Scotland where the verdict of "not proven" is also available—is handed down by the jury. Different counts in the same case may have different verdicts. A verdict of guilty in a criminal case is generally followed by a judgment of conviction rendered by judge, which in turn be followed by sentencing. In U.S. legal nomenclature, the verdict is the finding of the jury on the questions of fact submitted to it. Once the court (the judge) receives the verdict, the judge
Water supply and sanitation in Scotland to act independantly. The regional councils were also given responsibility for sewage treatment, which prior to the Act had been handled by 234 separate organisations. Unlike in England and Wales, the assets of the industry were owned by local governments, many of which were not governed by the Conservative Party at the time of the water privatisation in England and Wales in 1989. However, with the passing of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, the UK government merged the water and sewerage responsibilities of the Regional and Island Councils into three regional public service providers, the North of Scotland