Jury is a vital part of our legal system, allowing citizens to decide the fate of people accused of committing crimes. It’s a high duty of citizenship, requiring sound judgment, absolute honesty and fairness.
During a trial, a group of ordinary citizens (jurors) retreat to a private room and the judge gives them specific instructions on how to weigh evidence and apply the law in reaching a verdict on the case. The jury will also listen to opening statements and closing arguments from the lawyers for both sides of the case.
After the judge and the attorneys have chosen the jury, they will begin the process of questioning potential jurors in a phase called voir dire (or ‘jury selection’). Attorneys on both sides of the case ask questions about the prospective jurors to assess whether or not they can be impartial and whether they might have a bias that could prevent them from judging the facts of the case fairly.
The judge will allow both parties to excuse members of the jury panel if they believe that they have a bias or that they might not be able to hear the case impartially. These challenges are referred to as ‘challenges for cause’ or ‘peremptory challenges’.
Jurors are sworn in to keep secret the facts of the case until the trial is over, and they must not discuss the case with anyone outside the jury, including their families or friends. If a juror hears something about the case from another source or learns it in some other way they must tell the judge immediately.