Sarah Johnston

How Effective Is Trial By Jury?

There are many advantages and disadvantages of trial by jury. An advantage of jury service is the secrecy of the jury room. When the jurors are deciding the verdict they should feel free from pressure, as the only people that are allowed in the room is the members of the jury. It is thought that if the juror’s discussions could be made public, there would be less people wanting to serve on a jury. There is also a disadvantage when juries deliberate in private, because no one can inquire into what happened in the jury room. When giving the verdict the jury does not have to give a reason, this can be seen as a disadvantage.  

Another advantage is that the jury service is thought to make the legal system more open. Using a jury helps the members of the public understand the law, the process of a trial and makes them aware of what is happening.

Using a jury in more complicating cases, such as fraud cases is a disadvantage. They are twelve strangers who have no legal knowledge or training. Most of the jurors may not understand and therefore their decision that they made may have been for the wrong reasons.

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One of the most unusual cases was RV Young in 1991. The defendant was charged with the murder of two people. The jury had to stay in a hotel overnight because they had not reached a verdict by the end of the first day of discussion. When they stayed at the hotel some members of the jury held a séance using a Ouija board to try and contact the dead victims and ask who had killed them. When the fact that a Ouija board had been used to decide the verdict the defendant requested a retrial and the court of ...

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