Question

Evaluate the effectiveness of using lay people as jury in criminal trials.

Answer 1

The term 'lay' in an ordinary legal perspective means ordinary, non - qualified people who are not that well versed with the legal terms and knowledge.

When it comes to using lay people as jury in criminal trials , then these lay people helps or assists judges in trials. They are also denoted as lay magistrates. Throughout UK lay magistrates are used in courts and legal system. Lay magistrates generally comes from local area, these individuals don't have qualifications like ordinary magistrates and they only undergo basic training in order to process making decision . Due to their lack of proper knowledge of legal terminologies and law some of the problems arises affecting the trials of the cases which are as follows :-

1 . Sentences given by them are generally not very stable it is because of their lack of in depth knowledge of intricacies involved in the legal world.

2. Inconsistent sences given by them is another problem that arises while using the services of lay people in the jury it is generally because of their not so regular job and lack of experience.

3. More time period taken by them in the analysis of the case because of their limited understanding of law and intellectual level.

However there are certain benefits also for using their services which are :-

1 . Judgement given by the court involving them also includes a non - professional perspective that an ordinary person carries relating to a particular case. How an ordinary person would have reacted in a particular situation if he would have confronted with such kind of situation.

2. Such lay person are generally free from an biasedness and are independent of government, it's authorities and processes and thus their decision are generally more fairer , and just.

3 . Since they are local people thus they bring a little bit of local element into the case and views expressed by them are generally the views of local people.