Topic 3: Lay People 2) Juries

Question 1

What qualities do you have to have to be a juror?

Answer 1

• Aged between 18 and 75
• Registered upon the electoral role
• To have lived in the UK for 5 years since their 13th birthday

Question 2

Who will be disqualified for life?

Answer 2

• Those imprisoned on a life sentence
• Those imprisoned at her majesty’s pleasure
• Those imprisoned for public protection
• Those given an extended sentence
• Those imprisoned for 5+ years

Question 3

Who will be disqualified for 10 years?

Answer 3

• Those imprisoned for under 5 years in the last 10 years
• Those who have received a suspended sentence in the last 10 years
• Those who have received a community order in the last 10 years

Question 4

Who else may be discharged?

Answer 4

• Those on bail
• Those who are mentally disordered
• Those who have a lack of capacity
• Those who are deaf & blind

Question 5

Who has the right to be excused from jury service?

Answer 5

• Members of the armed forces

- Those who have recently served as jurors in the past 12 months

Question 6

What situations will lead to discretionary excusals?

Answer 6

• Pregnancy
• Holidays
• Surgery
• Hospital appointments
• Death in the family
• Illness or terminal illness
  Weddings

Question 7

What is the penalty for failing to attend jury service?

Answer 7

£1,000

Question 8

Describe the Jury summons process

Answer 8

• The jurors are selected at random from the electoral role
• Used for a 2 week period
• 150 people are summonsed

Question 9

Describe the selection at court

Answer 9

• The Clerk calls 15 people to be the Jury in Waiting
• A further 12 are selected from them
• The 3 then go back to the first waiting room

Question 10

What is vetting?

Answer 10

Running background checks in order to make sure their eligible

Question 11

What is challenging?

Answer 11

After vetting, if they have any queries then they will challenge the juror.

Question 12

What can the courts challenge for?

Answer 12

• To the array
• For cause
• Prosecution right to stand by jurors

Question 13

What does ‘to the array’, ‘for cause’ and ‘prosecution right to stand by jurors’ mean?

Answer 13

• Challenge the whole jury
• Challenging one juror for their right to sit on the jury
• No reasons needed, ‘bad egg’

Question 14

What are the roles of the jury?

Answer 14

• Hear all evidence and decide facts on a case
• Can be directed to acquit by the judge
• Retires to a private room and decides the guilt/innocence of a Defendant
• Foreman reads out their verdict
• DO NOT SENTENCE THE DEFENDANT

Question 15

What are the advantages of a jury?

Answer 15

• Jury equity
• Representative of society
• Secrecy of the jury room
• Impartiality

Question 16

What are the disadvantages of a jury?

Answer 16

• Perverse verdicts
• Not representative of society
• Secrecy of the jury room
• Media & Internet influence