Secrets of the Jury Room

The jury is a cornerstone of British justice but at the same time unknown territory - even to lawyers who spend most of their careers in crown courts - because Section 8 of the Contempt of Court Act forbids revelation of jury deliberations. However, there is plenty that can be said by jurors - as Martin Short discovered when preparing his 5-part Radio series 'Tales of the Jury Room'. Jurors were prepared to talk about miscarriages of justice, intimidation by defendants' relatives, the pomposity and insularity of many barristers, farcical goings-on among jurors, the extraordinary ways many jurors are selected (including class and race prejudice), the inadequacy of preparation before major fraud cases, the influence of press coverage (e.g. the Taylor sisters' case), the emotional impact of hearing rape, murder cases, the role of juries in libel/slander cases etc. The author will also interview a wide range of lawyers, and his book will carry both real investigative force and weight. It will be controversial, challenging and extremely readable: appealing not just to the legal profession but to anyone who's ever served or likely to serve on a jury.
 
The jury is a cornerstone of British justice but at the same time unknown territory - even to lawyers who spend most of their careers in crown courts - because Section 8 of the Contempt of Court Act forbids revelation of jury deliberations. However, there is plenty that can be said by jurors - as Martin Short discovered when preparing his 5-part Radio series 'Tales of the Jury Room'. Jurors were prepared to talk about miscarriages of justice, intimidation by defendants' relatives, the pomposity and insularity of many barristers, farcical goings-on among jurors, the extraordinary ways many jurors are selected (including class and race prejudice), the inadequacy of preparation before major fraud cases, the influence of press coverage (e.g. the Taylor sisters' case), the emotional impact of hearing rape, murder cases, the role of juries in libel/slander cases etc. The author will also interview a wide range of lawyers, and his book will carry both real investigative force and weight. It will be controversial, challenging and extremely readable: appealing not just to the legal profession but to anyone who's ever served or likely to serve on a jury.