I MAY be an old Tory but I believe in giving credit where credit is due and the Scottish Governments u-turn on corroborative evidence is a sign of confidence and maturity ("SNP shelve their plan to abolish historic legal safeguard", The Herald, April 20).

When Margaret Thatcher said: "The lady's not for turning," I heard a bat-squeak of alarm, for taking on the cloak of infallibility must inevitably lead to a disaster like the poll tax.

Kenny MacAskill was an admirably innovative minister but he was wrong on this one as the opposition of legal heavyweights like the late, great Joe Beltrami made incontrovertible.

Scots Law may be a national icon but as the celebrated Lockerbie trial showed, its handling of evidence can be troubling. Any lessening of rigour in this area would be a mistake.

Rev Dr John Cameron,

10 Howard Place,

St Andrews.