Advantages And Disadvantages Of Australian Jury System

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Australian Jury System The idea of the modern day Jury first sprung during the Anglo-Saxon England in the early 16th Century, which consisted of the members of the basic level of the local government. It is during the previous ages that the Jury system was known to be an accurate way to judge the outcome of criminal matters. The Jury system has been present in Australia ever since the first white settlers landed on the shores. One of the famous Australian cases, which involved a jury, was the trial of Ned Kelly, whose fate was sealed by the people who represent the very topic of this essay. Therefore the Jury system in Australia has played a pivotal role in criminal cases and influences the final sentence. In recent times, one of the greatest…show more content…
However it does have aspects that might be considered as flaws of the system. One disadvantage could be that in a country with which consists of a majority population, a person of a minority community might be in a trial and the verdict handed out by a jury consisting of the majority community, the verdict may have racial intentions present. Another disadvantage is that juries may not understand the burden of proof, as they are just common citizens. Another disadvantaged is that some members of the jury can be easily influenced or be corrupted; these reasons undermine the Jury. However advantages of a Jury include; Jury includes common values and not just upon evidence as a factor in determining the verdict. Another argument for juries is that there is a large number of people deciding the verdict therefore more varied opinion. They also may do a better job in judging the character and honesty of the accused than the Judge or magistrate. Although the jury system contains flaws, the verdict is still based on varied viewpoints as opposed to the single viewpoint of the judge. If there is a background check done on anyone chosen to be a juror, it will reduce some flaws in the system. Therefore the jury system in Australia is the most effective way to find someone guilty or not

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