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Articles on Jury

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Jurors tend to rely heavily on forensic testimony, even when they don’t understand it. andresr/E+ via Getty Images

Juries that don’t understand forensic science can send innocent people to prison − a short training video could help

Educating mock jurors about what kinds of statements are appropriate − or not − led to more critical assessments of forensic testimony and improved the quality of their decisions.
In Atlanta, Ga., one person’s sign reflects the actual verdicts that had just been delivered in the Derek Chauvin trial. Megan Varner/Getty Images

Chauvin conviction: 2 things to know about jury bias and 2 ways to reduce it

How does pretrial publicity affect jury verdicts? What kind of verdicts are made when the jury is racially diverse? An expert on juries answers questions raised in the wake of the Chauvin verdicts.
The jury at the Weinstein trial will have to check their biases about consent. Aleutie/Shutterstock.com

Weinstein jurors must differentiate between consent and compliance – which research shows isn’t easy

As the Harvey Weinstein trials start, a psychology scholar explains why jurors may be biased on the question of consent. While the situations examined in these studies are not equivalent to sexual assault, they illustrate a pervasive psychological bias.
To avoid miscarriages of justice, we need a jury direction process that leads to maximum juror understanding. Shutterstock

We need better jury directions to ensure justice is done

Because judges have a secondary audience when issuing jury directions - appeal court judges - the language used has become too wordy and confusing. It needs to change.
Gerald Stanley enters the courthouse in Battleford, Sask., in February 2018 during his trial in the death of Colten Boushie, an Indigenous man. The use by Stanley’s defence team of peremptory challenges produced an all-white jury in his trial. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Liam Richards

A good first step towards diverse, impartial Canadian juries

The Canadian government’s criminal justice bill would abolish what are known as peremptory challenges. Here’s why that’s long overdue.

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