judges and jury's

Authors Avatar
Describe the different roles of the judge and jury in a Crown Court trial.In England and Wales, serious criminal cases are tried “on indictment” by a judge and a jury in the Crown Court. The judge is a professional lawyer, but the jury consists of twelve men and women, with no previous connection with the case, chosen at random for this duty.The judge is responsible for matters of law and matters of procedure. Before the trial itself, the judge presides over a case management hearing to settle (with the lawyers) such matters as the expected length of the trial, the names of the witnesses to be called, any special facilities required such as video links or interpreters. If the defendant intends to plead guilty, of course, there is no need for a trial as such, and a date is set at once for a sentencing hearing.At the trial, the judge ensures that proper procedures are followed. Sometimes there are issues of law to be settled – the admissibility of particular evidence, for example, or the legal validity of
Join now!
a particular defence – and the judge rules on these matters as they arise. Occasionally, the judge may have to intervene to restore order in court or to ask a witness to clarify what she is saying, and where a defendant chooses to represent himself the judge ensures that he is given every chance to put his case and have it properly considered.The jury's role is to assess the guilt or innocence of the defendant on the basis of the evidence put before them. When all the evidence has been given, the lawyers on each side put their final arguments ...

This is a preview of the whole essay