ABSTRACT
The jury box is where the people come into the court; the judge watches them and the jury watches back. A jury is the place where the bargain is struck. A jury attends in judgement not only upon the accused but also upon the justice and humanity of law. Having defended the institution of the jury generally, it has to be recognised that there are particular instances that tend to bring jury system into disrepute. A truly remarkable case came to light in December 2000 when trial, which had been going on for ten weeks, was stopped on the grounds that a female juror was conducting what were referred to as ‘improper relations’ with a male member of the jury protection force who had been delegated to look after the jury during the trial. It is generally accepted that function of the jury is to decide on matters of fact, and that matters of law are the province of judge.
