In the United States, jury trials are an important part of our court system. We rely heavily on the jury to decide the fate of the accused. We don’t give a second thought to having a jury trial now, but they were not always the ‘norm’. The modern US version of a jury derived from ancient English law. It is said in the early 11th century, William the Conqueror brought a form of a jury system from Normandy that became the basis for early England’s juries. It was constructed of men who were sworn by
A jury is defined as “a body of persons legally selected and sworn to inquire into any matter of fact and to give their verdict according to the evidence” by Webster(2004). It differs from a bench trial, in which a judge or panel of judges makes all decisions. Nowadays the jury system is very popular in almost all of the common law legal systems, so that people of those countries can make sure that the case would not be judged only by one’s personal willing or prejudice. Although the jury system
A History of English Common Law The origin of English Common in the 12th century was sparked by the death of King Henry I in 1135. The nephew of Henry I was Stephen, and he was acknowledged to be the rightful king, but the magnates and such had sworn loyalty to Henry’s daughter, Matilda. The entire reign of Stephen, which lasted from 1135 to 1154, was spent fighting with Matilda and her French husband. Upon Stephen’s death the son of Matilda, Henry II, became king in 1154. It was from here on
Throughout the course of the Middle Ages the meaning behind the title of king evolved, while at the same time the power of the nobles and the Church was constantly threatened and taken by these secular rulers. Various kings had many different methods that they implemented in order for them to gain more power than their nobility and the Church. From the simple building of castles to the intricate workings of law, secular rulers found ways to slowly erode the power of others in favor of gaining power
The right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury is implicitly indicated in the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution. A jury is a panel of citizens who hear and render a verdict in a case that is being tried in the community. Juries hear and render verdicts on both Civil and Criminal cases. Currently, juror qualifications are the following; are at least 18 years of age, a United States Citizen, reside in the location of jury service, are able to read and write in English
England and France were evolving in the 1000s, while the Holy Roman Empire and papacy were engaged in their struggle. Strong monarchy came earlier to England than to France, and it was the English who were most successful in dictating constitutional limits on the crown. English parliamentary and French royal absolutism are both rooted in the High Middle Ages. Since the end of England’s Anglo-Saxon period came to and end in 1066, France and England were involved with each other until the mid-sixteenth