Juries: Advantages And Disadvantages

Question 1

Advantages

Answer 1

• 12 members cancel out any biasedness
• public confidence cause ordinary people involved in trial
• law explained in simple terms, makes it more accessible
• juries have no direct interest in case
• can operate on fact not law
• random cross section of society is chosen

Question 2

Disadvantages

Answer 2

• some jurors dislike service, may rush decision
• never know if they don’t understand the case as done in jury room, V Mizra established there to be no interference in jury room
• risk of “jury nobbling”
• jurors could be influenced by the media
• if advocates on service, could influence the jurors
• time consuming, law has to be explained in simple terms