Are there always 12 jurors

This decision is left up to the judge following submissions made by both sides. Under current public health restrictions , court business has been reduced. You can access the latest announcements on court sittings on the Courts Service website. If you have a question about this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 07 Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm.

You can also contact your local Citizens Information Centre or Request a call back from an information officer. Information The jury fulfils a very important function in the legal system. The verdict At the conclusion of the trial, the jurors are given an issue paper, which states the issues that the jury must consider in reaching its verdict. Rules Jurors must: Decide the facts of the case only. Remain impartial and independent. Remain uninfluenced by any person.

It is an offence for any person who is not a member of the jury to attempt to influence a juror in any way. Keep statements made in the jury room confidential. Jurors should not discuss the case with any person other than members of the jury. Page edited: 10 May Related Documents Criminal trials An introduction to the various types of criminal trial that take place in Ireland. The law regarding criminal insanity and mental health sets out rules on fitness to plead, diminished responsibility and the Mental Health Review Board.

How do we decide who should sit on a jury? Simply holding views about different racial groups, or having some knowledge of the matter due to publicity will not necessary exclude an individual from the jury. In the most serious cases — mainly, murder — the Criminal Code says the trial must be with a jury unless both the prosecution and the defence agree to have a trial by judge alone.

Sometimes, accused persons have firm views about whether they want a judge or a jury to hear their case, often the result of past experiences with the court system.

An accused who has been in trouble in the past and feels she has not been treated fairly, when in front of a judge alone, will often insist on a jury trial, believing she will get a better hearing in front of 12 ordinary people. Sometimes, simply as a matter of principle, accused persons want representatives of their community to pronounce judgment opposed to a judge. Sometimes the opposite occurs, where an accused declines his right to a jury because he does not want local people to know the details of what he is alleged to have done.

A defence lawyer who is advising an accused may have different considerations. Cases which are mainly about the law are probably better suited to the assessment of a judge. In a jury trial, the judge explains to the jury what the applicable law is; the jury then has to apply that law to the evidence and determine the verdict.

A criminal trial must always begin with 12 jurors, and the law allows for up to two to be excused as the trial proceeds. Cases where the main question is what precisely took place between the people involved are sometimes better suited for a jury, but not always.

Even for a judge, finding a coherent, logical way through a tangled web of evidence can be a challenge. Juries are always told they must not allow sympathy to play a role in their decision-making, but in the real world sympathy is almost always a factor taken into account in choosing whether to have a jury trial. An accused who will likely be seen with sympathy and compassion by other persons may more likely want a jury. Sympathy and compassion can also weigh against an accused, in which case they will more likely not want a jury trial.

If a particularly vulnerable person is the victim or an important prosecution witness, the accused might want a judge alone: a judge must dispassionately apply the law, and provide logical reasons which show she has done that, no matter how sad or sympathetic the plight of the victim might be. Similarly, if the crime alleged is particularly violent and the evidence expected to be graphic, a judge might be a better choice, as he or she will be less likely swayed by the horror of what they are hearing and seeing than might be the case with a jury, who might let feelings of revulsion and anger sway their reasoning.

Only about half of those people will spend any time in court. In the case of grand juries, the federal courts track only the number of grand juries last year and the number of times jurors report to them , last year — meaning one juror that attends on five days is counted five times. So to figure out the number of jurors that represents,…. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Popular articles Are there always 12 jurors?

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