Jury Trial Advantages

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Jury trial is a successfully established system which has a history of more than 800 years. Juries are the driving force of the criminal justice system as they ensure that the system works for the welfare of the society. Equally important, juries reflect the opinion which is generally accepted by the public. It is said, that jury trial, as well as having advantages also has drawbacks. This essay will critically discuss the advantage and disadvantage of jury trial, including cases as an example.
The essential advantage of a jury system is jury equity. This allows a jury to get to a decision regardless of the law, if they feel that decision is unjust. Jury trials are beneficial because it demonstrates the idea of fairness. Decisions by juries can be reached on what appears to be right and not …show more content…

Fascinatingly, he could convince the jury that he did it in the interest of the nation and was acquitted. This case is a striking example of how a jury has the power to influence the law and acquit someone whose actions were reasonable. Jury equity shows that there is a clear difference between law and justice. One of the disadvantages of jury trial which may occur in courts is racial bias. This is the unfair discrimination against someone based on one’s own racial prejudices. Racial bias is a disadvantage because it may unfairly impact a jury’s verdicts. Additionally, studies have found that people are usually poor predictors of their own reactions towards racist speech and behavior, and that race has a stronger impact on the decision-making process than people assume (confirmation bias). For example, a government review into the criminal justice system by North London MP David Lammy has found that there is a greater bias against black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) offenders, which adversely impacts

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