Jury-free trials: Comment from our Law department following mock trial final
Thousands of cases that would normally be heard in front of a jury should be decided by judges alone, according to recommendations made by former senior judge, Sir Brian Leveson.
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Sam Capewell, Teacher of Law at Holy Cross College, recently represented the part of the judge for our Lower Sixth Law students’ mock trial competition.
The view from the Jury’s bench during the mock trial final at Holy Cross College
Sam is planning to discuss this news story with his students in the new academic year, and he can see both sides of the argument.
He said: “Personally, I think judge-only trials are problematic. A trial by one's peers is a fundamental, constitutional principle.
“Whilst the compulsory nature of the system can be unpopular, the opportunity for citizens to be involved in the legal system is democratic, particularly when there are concerns regarding the lack of diversity in the judiciary.
“Justice delayed (through a postponed jury trial) is better than justice not being achieved at all through one judge delivering a verdict that could have a significant impact on someone's liberty.
“However, I can see both sides – it could be beneficial to victims to have their case heard at an earlier date to avoid it be unnecessarily prolonged.”
Sam oversaw our Lower Sixth students who took part in the mock trial competition towards the end of summer term.
He said: “The standard of advocacy displayed by both teams was fantastic, and I know they'll all do a great job representing the college in next year's competition at Manchester Crown Court.
