The Jury System

1. The Jury System By people substituting for lazy Mr. Verdon

2. Reasons For • Accepted by society • Used by most developed Western countries • Historically successful and generally well-received • Accused is judged by peers • Allows public to play a role in criminal justice process • Group of jurors negates individual prejudice – system relies on balance of opinion • Responsibility for decision is spread across twelve jurors • Jury usually represents a cross-section of society (provides a range of perceptions, recollections and analyses • System acts a safety net against corrupt and oppressive conduct by the state and/or police force

3. Reasons Against • Jury trials are time consuming and costly, and create delays in the criminal justice system • Unanimous verdicts are difficult to arrive at • Difficult cases are hard for the jury to follow • Rules of evidence are difficult to follow • Jury is not accountable and does not have to provide reasons for its decision • The media can affect a juror’s view of the trial • Jury may not be objective • Juries may not represent a true cross-section of society • The jury system favours the accused • Jury duty can affect jurors adversely