The Jury on TV

⚖️ Did you watch Channel 4’s TV show The Jury?

It was an experimental show re-staging a real-life murder trial with two juries of “ordinary people”. The cameras are there to reveal their deliberations and then see if the two juries come to the same verdict.   

What happens in a jury room remains unknown thanks to The Contempt of Court Act 1981. So this attempt to offer a ‘fly on the wall’ insight into the deliberations was certainly interesting. Particularly for legal eagles!

The jury system is the cornerstone of the British justice system, where 12 individuals selected at random determine the guilt or innocence of the accused in a criminal trial. Trial by jury has been operating in Britain for centuries, but how well equipped are jurors to interpret the law and pass judgement?

In this programme, the point of law the two juries must make a verdict on is whether the accused committed manslaughter or murder, based on the law around loss of control. But personal experiences, sexism, ageism, loud personalities, and plenty of emotions have a significant impact too.  

We won’t reveal what happened when the two juries came back to court to announce their verdicts, but it’s fair to say that this tv show raises interesting questions about our current jury system.

What did you think of the show? Were you shouting at the TV in frustration?!

Let us know your thoughts on The Jury