Could Covid lead to a reduction in jury size?
The highest-ranking English and Welsh judge has questioned whether low-grade cases require 12 jurors. According to Lord Burnett of Maldon, Covid-19 has exacerbated a backlog of crown court cases, which he estimates to be over 57,000 as of April. He claimed that an chance to introduce a temporary reduction in jury size was missed, and questioned whether such a change could still be implemented. The PA news agency responds to inquiries about the concept here. For centuries, juries have been an integral part of the legal system, with the right to be tried by the lawful judgment of his peers inscribed in the Magna Carta. However, juries predate 1215, as does the necessity that they be composed of a dozen individuals. The days of noblemen serving on juries are long gone, as is gender prejudice, and women have been allowed to serve on juries in England since 1919. The prosecuting counsel caused a stir when he changed the commonly used phrase Gentlemen of the jury with the more inclusive Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, according to a story published in the New York Times of the first case where women were empanelled in Bristol in 1920. Unless they are disqualified or excused, anyone between the ages of 18 and 75 who is habitually living in the UK and is a British, Irish, or Commonwealth citizen and registered to vote can now serve on juries. In England and Wales, criminal trials can be heard by as few as 12 people. The Criminal Justice Act of 1925 made it possible for trials to continue if a juror died or became incapable of continuing to act due to illness. The. (This is a brief piece.)