This document summarises the role that the Jury plays within the Crown Court
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Role of the Jury in the Crown Court - 9
Describe the role of a jury in a Crown Court trial
In all crown court trials, a set of 12 members of the public will sit in a special designated area of the
courtroom where they become the jury. Their principle role is to decide on a verdict on the evidence
against, and for, the defendant.
Their role begins at the recruitment, a number of people are randomly selected off of the electoral register
by a computer, this doesn't mean that the selection is necessarily random or representative of the public,
however, it is random and unbiased. Then they appear in the court where they must confirm their
identification and watch a DVD explaining their role as a juror. Then an usher selects fifthteen people at
random. It is important to note that if they do not appear without either approved deferral or discretionary
excusal then they can be fined. After this is done, all 15 appear in the courtroom before the barristers and
judge where the barristers can either array, where they can challenge the whole of the jury, this can be
due to the fact the jurors may be biased. This happened in the Fraser 1987 case where the defendant
was of ethnic minority but all the jurors were white. The barristers can also “for cause” in where the
challenge individual jurors for reasons such as if they know the defendant. This was done in both the
Wilson and the Sprason case of 1995. There is also something known as Jury Vetting which checks the
backgrounds of all the jurors, however, this is banned due to the vact it violates the Human Rights
Act/Conventions, however, it can still be done with the Attorney-General’s strict permission for serious
national security cases.
When they are within the court, the 15 jurors will become 12 jurors and will be asked to sit as the juror.
When this is done, they will sit and listen as the trial begins. The average trial can last two to three days
and the jurors may be called to sit on more than one trial during a two week period, however, jurors may
never actually sit on a trial. Jurors also must be kept apart from all other persons connected with the trial
such as the family of a defendant as it will count as Jury Nobbling which is illegal. Jurors must listen to the
evidence, they can take notes from the evidence but these cannot be taken outside of the courtroom and
will be destroyed when the trial finishes. When the barrister finish evaluating the evidence and give their
closing statements, then the jury will deliberate in a private room which is strictly secret, the jury will reach
a verdict which cannot be questioned. They must come to a unanimous verdict, however, can reach a
majority of 11:1 or 10:2 but this is only if the jury allows it. The jury can also use and indictment sheets or
exhibits with them when deliberating. However, it is illegal for jurors to use mobile phones or publish any
information on the trial.
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