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' Is the jury the "…lamp that shows freedom lives"?'
Member rating: No Rating | Words: | Submitted: Tue Feb 24 2004
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' Is the jury the "...lamp that shows freedom lives"?' The history of jury trial dates back many centuries in which time the role and status of jury members have changed considerably as have the number and range of cases tried by the jury system. A major milestone in the history of juries was in Bushell's Case (1670), that established that the juries were the sole judges of fact, with the right to give a verdict according to conscience. They could not be penalized for taking a view of the facts opposed to that of the judge. The importance of this power today is that juries may acquit a defendant, even when the law demands a guilty verdict. In contemporary society, the jury is considered a fundamental part of the English legal system, and it occupies an almost sacred place in the public's imagination. It has been referred to as the...
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