NCJ Number
109000
Date Published
1986
Length
164 pages
Annotation
Official records and surveys formed the basis of an analysis that focused on how the jury system operates in New South Wales, Australia. The analysis was intended for use by the New South Wales Law Reform Commission in its examination of the role of the jury in criminal trials.
Abstract
Data collection took place in 1985. Information came from jury rolls for selected districts; questionnaire surveys of 1,779 prospective jurors, 1,834 jurors, 42 judges, and 22 prosecutors; and detailed information sheets of 197 trials. More than 30 percent of names chosen randomly for the electoral roll for each jury roll were deleted before the roll was put into final form. Men and women were equally represented as jurors and prospective jurors. Almost 30 percent of prospective jurors and over 20 percent of serving jurors reported financial losses as a result of their attendance. Some also found the trial difficult to follow. The 197 trials lasted an average of 3 days. Twenty-five judges believed that some trials are too complex to be suitable for a jury trial. Prosecutors varied widely in their practices relating to peremptory challenges, use of visual aids, and other practices. Tables, footnotes, and appended study instruments. For related documents, see NCJ 108999 and NCJ 109001.