Drawbacks of the Jury System in the UK

Question from INM, Drawbacks of the Jury System in the UK

Answer from AI:

### Introduction
– Overview of the UK jury system
– Source: The Jury System and Democracy: A Case for Reform? (Book)
– Importance of the jury in the legal system
– Source: Juries Act 1974
– Outline of essay structure

### Main Body

#### 1. Lack of Understanding and Competence
– Jurors may not understand legal terms and concepts
– Case: R v Wang [2005] UKHL 9
– Article: “Juror comprehension and the hard case – making forensic evidence simpler” (International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice)
– Difficulty in following complex evidence or legal arguments
– Source: “The Problem with Eyewitness Testimony: A talk by Barbara Tversky, Professor of Psychology and George Fisher, Professor of Law” (Stanford Journal of Legal Studies)

#### 2. Bias and Prejudice
– Potential for unconscious bias affecting decision-making
– Case: Sander v United Kingdom [2000] ECHR 34129/96
– Article: “Jury Decision Making: The State of the Science” (Psychology, Public Policy, and Law)
– Influence of media on jurors’ perceptions and decisions
– Source: “Prejudice and the Press: The Challenge of Media-Induced Prejudice in the Courtroom” (Journal of Law and Society)

#### 3. Inconsistency and Unpredictability
– Variability in verdicts for similar cases
– Case: R v Ponting [1985] Crim LR 318
– Article: “The Unpredictability of Jury Verdicts” (Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology)
– Lack of reasons for verdicts leading to questions about decision-making process
– Source: “Juries and the Transformation of Criminal Justice in France in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries” (Book)

### Conclusion
– Summary of key points
– The need for reform and improvement in the jury system
– Source: “Jury Trials and the Popularization of Legal Language: A Discourse Analytical Perspective” (Book)
– The balance between the benefits and drawbacks of the jury system
– Article: “The Jury System: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives” (Criminal Law Bulletin)

### Rough Bibliography (Oscola 4th Edition)
– The Jury System and Democracy: A Case for Reform? (Book)
– Juries Act 1974
– R v Wang [2005] UKHL 9
– “Juror comprehension and the hard case – making forensic evidence simpler,” International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice.
– “The Problem with Eyewitness Testimony: A talk by Barbara Tversky, Professor of Psychology and George Fisher, Professor of Law,” Stanford Journal of Legal Studies.
– Sander v United Kingdom [2000] ECHR 34129/96
– “Jury Decision Making: The State of the Science,” Psychology, Public Policy, and Law.
– “Prejudice and the Press: The Challenge of Media-Induced Prejudice in the Courtroom,” Journal of Law and Society.
– R v Ponting [1985] Crim LR 318
– “The Unpredictability of Jury Verdicts,” Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology.
– “Juries and the Transformation of Criminal Justice in France in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries” (Book)
– “Jury Trials and the Popularization of Legal Language: A Discourse Analytical Perspective” (Book)
– “The Jury System: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives,” Criminal Law Bulletin.