criminal courts and lay people Flashcards
how many jurors are there in a crown court case and what is their role
12 to decide the verdict of G or NG
how many jurors are there in a high court case and what is their role
12 to decide liability if fined for the C decide amount of damage
how many jurors are there in a county court case and what is their role
8 to decide liability if fined for the C decide amount of damage
how many jurors are there in a coroners court case and what is their role
7-11 to decide cause of death
list the qualifications of a juror
- on the electoral role
- between the ages of 18-75
- have been a resident in the country for 5 years
under the juries act 1974 what are the 5 reasons someone may not be able to be a juror
- disqualified
- ineligible: mental disorder
- excusal
- deferral
- lack of capacity
what are the 2 types of disqualification from being a juror explain them
permanently- life sentence of 5 yrs imprisonment
for 10 years-sentence to imprisonment, suspended sentence or community service any time in the last 10 years, on bail
in what circumstances is one automatically ineligible:
receiving ongoing and regular treatment for the condition or are residing in a medical institution for treatment, don’t have mental capacity to make decisions of a juror under the mental capacity act 2005 or in guardianship under the mental health act 1983
in what circumstances can an excusal be allowed
armed forces- fulltime serving member of the forces will be excused if certified by the commanding officer, previous right of excusal for doctors and other medical staff no longer exists but they can apply for discretionary excusal
who can defer jury service
put off to a later date where there is good reason not to sit e.g. near due date in pregnancy, holiday booked that can’t be moved, exams, grievement
since 2003 who can now sit on a jury
those who work in the justice system judges, police, CPS
in large courts how many summons may be sent out each fortnight
150
if someone is sent a summons how long do they have to respond
7 days
if someone who is sent a summons doesn’t respond or attend how much will they be fined
£1000
what checks are included in jury vetting
police checks and jurors background
what is the purpose of police checks
to prevent those who are disqualified from serving
when are juror’s backgrounds checked
in exceptional cases such as national security at risk or terrorist cases
what can the prosecution challenge the jury on
for cause and standby
what can the defence challenge the jury on
for cause
who can challenge ‘to the array’
both prosecution and defence
