Mock criminal trials will be held in a replica court room in Lancaster and you are wanted for jury duty.
A team of researchers at Lancaster University will be holding the mock trials later this month and members of the public have been invited to apply to be 'jurors'.
The university's Law School will hold the trials on campus to better understand how justice is administered in England and Wales.
Dates are Sunday, November 24, Saturday, November 30 and Sunday, December 1.
The simulated live criminal trial will be based around a case involving sexual offences.
Evidence will be presented by real prosecution and defence barristers, witnesses will testify, and a real judge will preside over the case.
‘Juror’ participants will then be asked to deliberate along with 11 other members of the ‘jury’, deciding, as a group, whether they find the defendant guilty or not guilty.
Jury deliberations will be audio-recorded and analysed by the researchers.
Participants will also be asked to complete short, anonymous questionnaires at various points throughout the day which will run from 9am to 4pm approximately.
Lunch and refreshments will be provided and, as a thank you for their time, mock jurors will receive a gift voucher.
Dr Siobhan Weare, from Lancaster University Law School, who is leading the project, funded by UKRI Economic and Social Research Council, explained the reasoning behind the project and the ‘real life’ impact that the team are hoping the project will have.
“As it currently stands, it is against the law for jurors to discuss what happened in the jury deliberation room,” said Dr Weare.
“Therefore, it is often difficult to understand why jurors make the decisions that they do when we only get to hear their final verdict in a case.
“By conducting this research, we hope to develop a greater understanding of the decisions that people make when they are acting as jurors in sexual offences cases.
“This is important given the impact that such cases, and their outcomes, have on both complainants and defendants.
“We are working in close partnership with justice organisations in carrying out this research in the hope that the findings will be able to directly inform the fair delivery of justice to those who are victimised and accused of crimes in England and Wales.”
If you would like more information about this research project or if you are interested in taking part, please visit HERE and complete the short form.
If you have any questions, contact Maddy Millar, the research associate on the project, at m.millar1@lancaster.ac.uk
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