Users' questions 

Is the jury system outdated?

Leia Doyle

Is the jury system outdated?

Overall juries are outdated because the jurors that attend their jury duty are the last qualified to serve on juries and most people do not turn up to serve on juries.

What are trials without juries called?

A bench trial is tried to a judge only—there’s no jury. Learn how bench trials work in criminal cases and why a defendant might choose to go that route over a jury trial. A criminal defendant can take their case to trial before a jury or a judge. A trial before a judge is called a bench trial.

What can replace juries?

Bench Trials– a bench trial acts just like a regular trial, but instead of presenting your case to a jury of your peers, the judge acts as the jury and issues a verdict.

Can you have a trial without a jury UK?

United Kingdom The vast majority of civil trials proceed without a jury and are heard by a judge sitting alone, commonly known as a district judge or, for more serious matters or appeals, a circuit judge.

Does UK still use jury system?

In England and Wales (which have the same legal system), everyone accused of an offence which carries more than six months’ imprisonment has a right to trial by jury. Middle-ranking (“triable either way”) offences may be tried by magistrates or the defendant may elect trial by jury in the Crown Court.

What are the disadvantages of the jury system?

List of the Disadvantages of a Jury System

  • Juries are under no obligation to offer a decision based on facts.
  • Inaccurate jury decisions happen more often in violent and capital incidents.
  • The jury system still represents classism within society.
  • Juries aren’t always required to come up with a unanimous verdict.

Who decides if a case goes to trial?

the judge
Trials in criminal and civil cases are generally conducted the same way. After all the evidence has been presented and the judge has explained the law related to the case to a jury, the jurors decide the facts in the case and render a verdict. If there is no jury, the judge makes a decision on the case.

Can jurors refuse to vote?

You should NOT discuss jury nullification with your fellow jurors. It is well-established that it is perfectly legal for a juror to vote not guilty for any reason they believe is just.

What is the alternative to jury trial?

Another alternative may be for the tribunal of fact in Crown Court trials to be a specially trained state-appointed representative or single judge. However, these alternatives fail to have the independence from the state and judiciary which the traditional jury has.

Does UK have trial by jury?

How common are jury trials UK?

Jury trials amount for less than 1% of all criminal trials due to most cases being dealt with in magistrates’ court; of those cases that do proceed to Crown Court, approximately two-thirds will plead guilty.

Are there any alternatives to the jury system?

The true options are juryless trials, reducing the number of jurors or working towards making trials safe for ‘proper’ juries. The Criminal Bar Association’s position is as stated by Caroline Goodwin Q.C. on the 22 nd June, when she wrote “We cannot contemplate change to the jury system.

How are juries tailored to each individual case?

Juries would be tailored to each individual case. For instance, in a medical malpractice case, a jury could be made up of doctors. The jury would, therefore, have expertise on the evidence and facts at hand. Despite this clear disadvantage, the general community would again be distanced from the legal process.

How does jury trial work in the UK?

It has been suggested this could be conducted by a Judge and two Magistrates. Canada, New Zealand and some states of Australia offer the defence the opportunity to choose a juryless trial. How would this work in the UK during the current crisis in practice?

How are judges supposed to work in a jury system?

Judges would, as usual, use their expertise and knowledge of the law to decide on the evidence and reach a verdict. This could remedy one potential weakness of juries, being that jury members often do not have a good knowledge of the law.