Is it criminal for jurors to act on conscience?
I’ve written this piece for Prospect about a landmark hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice testing a key principle of our justice system: does a jury have the right to apply their conscience when delivering a verdict or could it be a criminal offence for them to do so?
I was astonished to be the only journalist sat on the press bench covering this hearing.
Since 1670, the independence of juries has reigned. Now centuries of precedent are on the line. We await the judgement in the new year.