Trial by a jury is a concept that has evolved with the realization that no innocent man should be punished, and there should be a fair trial of everyone. People who are asked to serve on juries are called jurors. These are people drawn from the common population, and serving a jury is considered an important civic duty.
Key Takeaways
- A jury is a body of persons constituted to hear a case and give an impartial verdict.
- Jurors are drawn from the common public, and there is no requirement to have any legal knowledge to serve as a juror.
- To serve as a juror is an important civic duty.
Jury
After the signing of Magna Carta by King John in 1215 AD, a due process of law was established, one of the pillars of which was the establishment of trial by a jury. This was done to ensure that all people got treated equally under the law, and no innocent got punished on the whims of a judge. The concept soon spread to all English colonies, and in the US too, juries were used in both civil as well as criminal trials. The right to trial by a jury was enshrined in the Bills of Rights adopted in the constitution, in 1789. There are both petit as well as grand juries in the country’s legal system, with petit juries being more common.
In general, a jury is a body of persons constituted to hear a case and give an impartial verdict. This body comprises people drawn from various segments of the society who are sworn to deliver an impartial verdict based upon the body of evidence presented in front of them.
Juror
Serving on a jury is considered an important civic duty. Contrary to what many think, it is not necessary to have any legal knowledge to be performing the role of a juror on a jury. However, there are qualifications needed to become a juror that are laid down in a process called Jury Selection. If a person gets chosen to serve as a juror, he usually gets a questionnaire that he has to complete and return to the court. The person is asked if he meets the criterion laid down to be able to serve as a juror.
The individual should be at least 18 years of age and should be a citizen of the country. The summon that is mailed to a person indicates the general term for which he is expected to serve as a juror. One can be excused from jury service on medical grounds. A juror is entitled to payment and allowances for juror service.
Difference Between Jury and Juror
- A jury is a body of persons chosen to serve as jurors.
- Jurors are drawn from the common public, and there is no requirement to have any legal knowledge to serve as a juror.
- To serve as a juror is an important civic duty.
