Juror Walkthrough - The Court
When a court is ready to select a jury, a court official will choose at random a group of people from those in the jury assembly room. Normally 15 people will be called. If they call your name, reply "yes". When all of you have been called a court official will take you to the courtroom. You will then be shown to an area just outside the courtroom. At all times, other than in the courtroom, you and the rest of the jury will be kept apart from the other people in court, except for the ushers. You may however mix with jurors from other trials who are also waiting to go into their courtroom.
An usher will bring you into the courtroom. It will look similar to this and there will be a number of people in it. You can click on each of them to find out who they are and what they do in the court. The usher will give the court clerk a set of cards with each juror's name. The clerk will read out names at random. If your name is read out, answer "yes" loudly, go to the jury box, or bench as it is sometimes called, and sit where the usher shows you.
When there are 12 of you in the jury box the court clerk will call out each name and each of you will be sworn in. When your turn comes you must either take an oath on a holy book of your choice or you must affirm. This is similar to swearing in but without the holy book. You can read the words aloud from a card or you can repeat them after a court official if you prefer. You are now officially the jury. If at any point in the trial you recognise the defendant, a witness, the judge, an advocate or solicitor you must tell a court official at once - otherwise this could result in an unfair trial. The judge will decide whether you should remain on the jury or not. Once the trial begins, you will be able to take notes, but you are not allowed to take your notes outside the courtroom or jury room.It is very important that you remember that you can only discuss the case when all jury members are present and in private. You should never discuss the case with anyone who is not a member of your jury as this is illegal.
Once your trial starts, please remember which court room you are in and the name of the case, for example 'R v Smith', because this will be the way the ushers will call you into court. All criminal trials follow similar procedures. A defendant or number of defendants will have been accused of a crime. The prosecution advocate opens the case by explaining the accusations and setting out the facts they will seek to prove during the trial.
Witnesses for the prosecution will be called. They take an oath, or affirm, to tell the truth and are then questioned, and cross-examined. Next witnesses for the defence may be called. If they are, they too will take the oath, or affirm, and be questioned and cross-examined. The judge may stop things at any time to prevent irrelevant questioning or argument, to protect witnesses and to clarify issues. If you need to clarify any point about the evidence, you may ask a question by giving a note to the usher who will pass it to the judge.
Trying a case can be a complicated legal process. There will be times when the advocates and the judge may need to discuss a point of law. The judge will ask you to leave the court for a short time. Once it has been resolved you will be asked back into the courtroom. When all the evidence has been given to the court, the prosecution and defence advocates may make their closing speeches. They will talk directly to you and your fellow jurors as they argue the merits of their cases. The judge will explain the law and summarise the facts of the case to you. The Judge will then clarify the duties of the jury before the 12 of you go to the jury room to consider your verdict.