A jury is a body of typically twelve people, who give a verdict in a legal case on the basis of evidence presented to them in court. The jurors independently review the evidence that is presented by either prosecuting or defending barristers, or solicitor advocates and they are required to come to a decision whether the accused is guilty or not guilty.
To become a juror you must be between the ages of 18-70, be registered as someone who can vote in either the parliamentary or local authority elections, a resident in the UK, the channel islands or the Isle of Man for at least 5 years since their 13th birthday and not subject to any of the disqualifications. Jurors also have to undergo background checks. This was brought about by the ABC trial in 1978 where two journalists and a soldier were charged with collecting secret information. The jury had been vetted so it was thought that more checks should be made in the future, due to this.
You can be disqualified from jury service if you are sentenced to life imprisonment, if you have been imprisoned for public protection, serving an extended sentence or serving a prison term of five years or more. This is because these people have been convicted and lost their right to
…show more content…
Defined by the criminal justice act of 2003 you can’t sit as a juror if you have previously or are currently suffering from a mental illness, a psychopathic disorder or suffer mental handicap or severe mental handicap. You also can’t sit as a juror If you are resident in a hospital or similar institution or regularly attend treatment by a medical practitioner. But due to the criminal justice act of 2003 this isn’t always black and white as some judges accept some people with mental disorders to sit as a juror, for example, if a person is stable and takes regular medication. Also if a person’s condition doesn’t affect their ability to make a fair