Legal Jury System Pro's and Cons

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Jury System Advantages and Disadvantages of the current legal system A jury is a group of 12 people who have been randomly selected by a computer from the electoral role. Once a person is chosen they are sent a notification by way of questionnaire to prospective jurors. The final parts of the process include summons and empanelment. It is the role of the jury to come to an unbiased decision on whether the accused is guilty or not guilty. Although juries can be present for some civil matters, the most common cases that involve jurors are criminal trials. There are many benefits to having a jury as opposed to a judge only trial, such as since there are 12 people they have collective wisdom and experience. The jury system also allows ordinary people to be involved in the court cases, keeping the system fair and leaving less room from corruption. Deciding what a reasonable person would do is easier for a jury as they consist of random citizens in that area, rather than having a judge decide who is constantly surrounded by court cases and criminals. The right to a jury is also similar to the right to vote, it has become an inseparable part of our democratic system. Having a jury system also keeps many Australian citizens happy, as a recent NSW survey showed that 93% of them want to keep the current jury system in trials. Although juries are very useful, they do have some disadvantages. For example, the cost of paying for 12 people every trial is quite expensive, not to mention the cost of food and other court expenses. Many juries also don’t fully understand the legal system, which can be seen as a good thing because the accused is being judged by his peers, but it could also lead the jury to make an incorrect decision on whether the suspect is guilty or not guilty. Jurors can’t ask the witness any questions either, so they have to make a decision even if they

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