Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Jury trials in England and Wales: eligibility, fact-finding role, advantages, bias concerns, reform options (reasons, selection), and juryless alternatives, including Northern Ireland’s Diplock courts

Published on: 28 March 2024

Published by a LexisNexis Corporate Crime expert

Legal News

Article summary

How does the jury system work in our country?

The earliest recorded use of the jury trial in England can be traced as far back as 1220. Even so, for most people across society, jury trial did not become commonplace until the 18th century. Being judged by a jury of one’s peers for serious offences is widely regarded as a fundamental and enduring element and safeguard of the adversarial system in England and Wales today.

Juries sit on the gravest crimes that are triable only on indictment (e.g. murder, rape, terrorism, etc.), and they are also available for ‘either way’ offences where a defendant may choose a jury trial instead (e.g. possession of a bladed article, theft, possession of drugs). In England and Wales, anyone on the electoral roll who is ordinarily resident in the UK and aged over 18 but under 76 can be summoned for jury service, as set out expressly in section 1 of the Juries Act 1974 (JA 1974)...

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