A Great Miscarriage of Justice
A Great Miscarriage of Justice
Oscar Slater
This chapter explores Oscar Slater's 1909 trial for the murder of Marion Gilchrist, an 83-year-old affluent spinster. The prosecution called for Slater's conviction based on the oral testimonies of Gilchrist's household staff and his neighbours. Slater's imprisonment in Peterhead Prison, however, did not last long. Through the help of the famed author Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote about challenging Slater's conviction, his case was brought before the Court of Criminal Appeal in 1927. The Court of Criminal Appeal overturned Slater's conviction and allowed his release. The Gilchrist murder case is an example of a serious miscarriage of justice and prompted the amendment of the Criminal Appeals (Scotland) Act of 1926.
Keywords: Oscar Slater, 1909 trial, Marion Gilchrist, murder, Peterhead Prison, Arthur Conan Doyle, Court of Criminal Appeal, Criminal Appeals (Scotland) Act of 1926
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