The jury Flashcards
When does the jury become relevant?
It occurs when the accused pleads not guilty to an indictable offence and 12 jurors are randomly selected from those who are eligible to vote and on the electoral roll. (some are disqualified due eg. prisoners, lawyers) or excused
What are the roles of the jury?
They are to:
- be objective
- listen to and remember evidence
- understand directions and summing up
- to deliver a verdict.
What does being objective mean?
They must be unbiased (without prejudice/pre-conceived ideas) and have no connections to any parties, thus providing the clearest possible outlook on the situation
What does listening and remembering evidence mean?
They have to make sense of evidence presented and if desired, they can take notes however are strictly permitted to perform independent research as they are tasked to decide matters of guilt solely on the evidence and facts presented during the trial
What does understanding directions and summing up mean?
This means when the judge gives jury directions (instructions about issues on point of law and the summary of case), they must understand it fully and can ask for any explanation on a legal point.
What does delivering a verdict mean?
They must take part in deliberations in the jury room and form an opinion about the facts of the case and decided whether the accused is guilty beyond reasonable doubt. These deliberations are confidential and this means any evidence during deliberations cannot be disclosed.
What are the types of verdicts?
- Unanimous verdict: means all 10,11 or 12 jurors agree on the verdict for murder, treason or certain drug offences
- Majority verdict: means 11/12 or 10/11 of jurors agree upon verdict for other indictable offences.
