ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the mock jury simulation methodology, which was used in the current research to collect empirical data about how [mock] jurors interpret and rely on sexual history evidence in their deliberations of rape trials. Whilst acknowledging notable critiques associated with the mock jury simulation method, the chapter notes the distinct benefits, limitations, and lessons that may be learnt from previous mock jury simulation projects. It argues that mock jury research remains valuable to collect important empirical insights into this central, and yet otherwise largely concealed, aspect of the adversarial justice ideal in England and Wales. It then describes the approach and decisions taken in the current mock jury simulation, from development of the audio-visual trial stimulus to recruitment of volunteer community participants and the deliberative task given to participant jurors. Finally, it outlines the analytical framework in which critical thematic analysis was used to gather notable, exploratory insights in the impact of sexual history evidence on mock juror deliberative narratives.
