AC 2.5

Cards (54)

  • Who are laypeople in the legal system?
    Ordinary members of the public without specialized legal knowledge
  • What roles do laypeople serve in the English legal system?
    As members of juries and as magistrates
  • In which court do juries sit for most cases?
    Crown Court
  • What is the jury's role in Crown Court trials?
    To hear evidence and arguments and decide the verdict
  • What must jurors be convinced of to deliver a guilty verdict?
    Beyond reasonable doubt
  • What does the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 state about jurors' deliberations?
    They are taken in secret and cannot be questioned about their verdict
  • How are jurors selected in the UK?
    Randomly by computer from the electoral register
  • What is the typical duration of jury service?
    Normally for two weeks
  • What are the eligibility requirements to serve as a juror?
    Must be aged 18 to 75, a citizen of the UK or Commonwealth, and have resided in the UK for five years
  • Who is disqualified from serving on a jury?
    Those on bail or who have received a prison sentence of five years or more
  • What grounds can someone be exempted from jury service?
    Medical reasons or prior commitments like a paid holiday
  • What are the strengths of the jury system?
    • Jury equity allows jurors to decide based on fairness rather than strict law
    • Ordinary members of the public make the legal system more open
    • Juries can provide a check on state power
  • What is an example of jury equity?
    The acquittal of Clive Ponting during the Falklands War trial
  • What was the outcome of the trial of Kay Gilderdale?
    She was acquitted by the jury
  • How do juries contribute to the perception of justice?
    • Juries make the legal system more open
    • Ordinary citizens decide outcomes, enhancing public confidence
    • Judges explain legal points to jurors, aiding understanding
  • Why are jury trials considered fairer by many people?
    Because jurors are peers and may cancel out individual prejudices
  • What is the significance of jury secrecy?

    It protects jurors from outside pressures and allows for jury equity
  • What are the weaknesses of the jury system?
    • Potential for racial bias among jurors
    • Influence of media coverage on jury decisions
    • Difficulty in understanding complex evidence in fraud trials
    • Jury tampering risks
    • High acquittal rates leading to criticism
    • Possibility of perverse decisions
  • What case highlighted concerns about racial bias in juries?
    Sander v United Kingdom (2000)
  • What was the outcome of the case R v Taylor and Taylor?
    The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction due to prejudicial media coverage
  • What did Cheryl Thomas's study reveal about jurors' understanding of legal directions?
    More than two-thirds did not fully understand the judge's directions
  • What does jury tampering involve?
    Attempts to pervert the course of justice by bribing or intimidating jurors
  • What does section 44 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 allow?
    The prosecution to apply for trial by a judge alone in cases of jury tampering
  • What was the first judge-only trial in the UK?
    R v Twomey and others in 2009
  • Why are high acquittal rates criticized in the jury system?
    Because juries are seen as acquitting too many defendants
  • What is a perverse decision in the context of jury verdicts?

    A verdict that goes against the facts of the case due to jurors ignoring the law
  • What does the secrecy of jury deliberations prevent?
    It prevents the disclosure of jurors' reasoning behind their verdicts
  • What was the ruling of the Law Lords in 2004 regarding jury discussions?
    They ruled that they could not inquire into discussions in a jury room
  • What was the outcome of R v Mirza regarding the jury's decision?
    Mirza was convicted on a 10-2 majority
  • What was the amount of criminal damage caused by the defendants in the case of Kronlid and others in 1996?

    £1.5 million
  • Why did the defendants in the Kronlid case plead not guilty?
    They claimed they were preventing the warplane from being sent to Indonesia for use against East Timor.
  • What does the secrecy of the jury room imply for verdict appeals?
    It means that appeals based on jury deliberations are generally unsuccessful.
  • In which year did the Law Lords rule they could not inquire into jury room discussions?
    2004
  • What was the issue in the case of R v Mirza regarding jury bias?
    A juror claimed that other jurors had made negative comments about the use of an interpreter, indicating racial bias.
  • What did the juror in R v Connor and Rollock reveal about the jury's decision-making process?
    She stated that jurors decided to convict both defendants to teach them a lesson despite disagreements on who stabbed the victim.
  • What does the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 prohibit jurors from doing?
    It makes it an offence for jurors to search the internet for case-related information.
  • What percentage of jurors admitted to looking up information on the internet about their cases?
    12%
  • What were the consequences for Dr. Theodora Dulles and Lionel Tweed for researching cases online?
    They were jailed for their actions, leading to a dismissal of the jury in Dulles' case.
  • What is the role of magistrates in the criminal justice system?
    • Unpaid, part-time volunteers from the local community
    • Try less serious cases (e.g., motoring offences, shoplifting)
    • Can impose fines or short prison sentences
    • Assistants are legally qualified clerks
  • How many magistrates are there in the UK?
    Approximately 13,000