Attorney general backs Law Commission recommendation that jurors who search web for case details should be jailedJuries are deeply "ingrained in our national DNA" and the internet should not be allowed to undermine a system of justice dating back to Magna Carta, according to the the attorney general, Dominic Grieve QC.Written instructions should be given to all juries to ensure they understand their role and the judge's directions in trials, Grieve suggested in a speech to the think-tank Politeia in central London on Wednesday evening.Grieve's comments support recommendations made by the Law Commission earlier this week that jurors who carry out internet searches on cases they are trying should face up to two years in prison. The attorney general encouraged the commission to publish as soon as possible."I am an enthusiastic advocate of trial by jury," he told his audience. "It is an essential element of the justice system of England and Wales. It is deeply ingrained in our national DNA."The right for a man to be punished only pursuant to the 'the lawful judgement of his equals' was enshrined in King John's Magna Carta in 1215." In the 17th century a jury endured two days' imprisonment without food or water at the hands of an overbearing judge in order to vindicate their right to return a true verdict, Grieve recalled."It is essential that juries are trusted to take decisions, with proper direction, even if very occasionally those decisions will not accord with the view... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2013-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
James Robertson's daily 365-word stories are a promising idea let down by poor digital designNew Year's Day saw the launch of 365, a collaboration between Scottish writer James Robertson and Hamish Hamilton, a Penguin imprint. It sounded promising: one 365-word story to be published online every... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Attorney general backs Law Commission recommendation that jurors who search web for case details should be jailedJuries are deeply "ingrained in our national DNA" and the internet should not be allowed to undermine a system of justice dating back to Magna Carta, according to the the attorney... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2013-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Sphere has acquired a book based on the Twitter feed Very British Problems following a “... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this