BBC Breakfast star Charlie Stayt has announced "terrible" news as a guest admitted, "I didn't see a future". During Thursday's (January 1) live progamme, Charlie and his co-host Luxmy Gopal updated viewers on the latest news from across the UK and around the world.

They were joined in the studio by Carol Kirkwood, who delivered regular weather updates, while John Watson presented the sports segment, and Emma Vardy shared updates on the energy price cap.

Later in the show, Charlie revealed that this year will mark one of the biggest modern changes to Scotland's criminal justice system with the scrapping of the not proven verdict. Alongside that, a majority on a jury will no longer be enough for a conviction.

"Major reforms to Scotland's justice system come into force today. They include the abolition of the not proven verdict, a unique feature of Scottish courts which sees the defendant walk free, but which critics said was unfair and confusing," the host explained.

A pre-recorded clip was then played, in which Scottish correspondent Lorna Gordon spoke to a woman who was raped ten years ago during her university freshers' week. The man who committed the crime walked free from a criminal court after the jury decided that the case against the attacker was not proven.

The victim said: "I think the not proven verdict, it left me confused, it left me angry. Everyone thought I was going to return to the person I was before and just go back and do my university exams a few weeks later, but for me, I didn't see a future. There was no ending, there was no closure. For me, it took several years going through a civil rape case to get that closure."

After her attacker was cleared in a criminal court, the woman raised and won a civil case, which is judged on the balance of probabilities against him.

Lorna continued: "This is a fundamental change to Scotland's criminal justice system. Going forward, jurors will have to choose guilty or not guilty."

Campaigners welcome the removal of the not proven verdict, arguing that it was confusing and unclear. But there are concerns as some people are worried that an important safeguard is being lost.

"I think it's a terrible thing," defence lawyer Thomas Leonard Ross KC said.

"It's an act of self-mutilation for the country. We had the system of verdicts, which suited the function of the jury better than any other system in the world, and we're just ripping it up and putting it in the bin."

Other parts of the bill also proved controversial. Scottish ministers dropped a pilot scheme for juryless rape trials after criticism from judges and lawyers.

Lorna concluded: "The changes that start coming in from today are profound, and abolishing the not proven verdict is a major milestone in Scotland's distinctive legal history."

BBC Breakfast airs daily on BBC One at 6am

If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information on Rape Crisis England and Wales or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland's helpline number is 08088 01 03 02