Lay Magistates And Juries

Question 1

Magistrates (justice of the peace)

Answer 1

Magistrates are volunteers who hear cases in courts in their community

Question 2

Juries

Answer 2

12 people picked at random to give a decision if the defendant is guilty or not guilty

Question 3

Advantages of lay magistrates

Answer 3

-A wider range of people deal with cases, this would not be possible if magistrates had to be qualified
-Magistrates often have local knowledge of the area they are working in.

Question 4

Disadvantages of lay magistrates

Answer 4

-Lack legal knowledge as they haven’t really studied law in much depth as judges would have
-Inconsistency in sentencing across the country

Question 5

Advantages of juries

Answer 5

-Juries pool their common sense and arrive at a verdict having listened to all of the evidence
-fair

Question 6

Disadvantages of juries

Answer 6

-Jury tampering - bribery/threats
-Radical views/bias as there is no right to a multi-racial jury.
-not qualified so don’t know much about the law

Question 7

How does a magistrate get appointed

Answer 7

Have to go to an interview and the 12 LAC see if you have the 6 qualities

Question 8

What qualifications do lay magistrates need?

Answer 8

None

Question 9

Magistrates criminal role

Answer 9

They hear 97% of criminal cases

Question 10

What do you need to be part of the jury

Answer 10

Citizenship and no criminal history

Question 11

The role of the jury

Answer 11

To decide if the defendant is guilty or not guilty after hearing and seeing all of the evidence

Question 12

How does a jury get appointed

Answer 12

At random you will get a letter telling you that you will be expected at court

Question 13

How many people in a jury

Answer 13

12

Question 14

How old do you have to be to be in the jury

Answer 14

18-75 picked at random