Understanding World Jury Systems Through Social Psychological Research

This volume examines diverse jury systems in nations around the world. These systems are marked by unique features having critical implications for jury selection, composition, functioning, processes, and ultimately, trial outcomes. These unique features are examined by applying relevant social psychological research, models and concepts to the central issues and characteristics of jury systems in those nations using a wide variety of jury procedures.

Traditionally, research that has been conducted on juries has almost exclusively targeted the North-American jury. Psychologically-based research on European, Asian and Australian juries has been almost non-existent in the past decade or more. Yet, the incidence of jury trials outside of North America has been steadily increasing as more nations (e.g., Japan, Spain, Russia, and Poland) adopt, revise, or expand their use of juries in their legal system. Accordingly, research has been appearing in the scientific literature on new developments in world juries (particularly in Spain, Japan, and Australia).

This volume fulfils the dual purpose of understanding the diverse practices in world juries in light of existing social psychological knowledge and applied research on juries in each nation, and outlining new research in the context of the issues raised by jury practices beyond those of North America.

1. Introduction and Overview Part 1: Pure (Lay) Juries 2. The Jury System in the United State of America 3. Cross-Border Diversity: Trial by Jury in England and Scotland 4. Lay Participation in Legal Decision-Making in Australia and New Zealand: Jury Trials and Administrative Tribunals 5. Psychological Perspectives on Spanish and Russian Juries 6. American Military Courts-Martial: Processes and Procedures of Trials and Decisions Part 2: Mixed (Lay and Professional) Juries 7. Issues and Prospects in European Juries: An Overview 8. Juries in Italy: Legal and Extra-Legal Norms in Sentencing 9. Human Justice or Injustice? The Jury System in France 10. Social-Psychological Implications of the Mixed Jury in Poland 11. Lay Judges in the German Criminal Court: Social-Psychological Aspects of the German Criminal Justice System 12. On Designing a Mixed Jury System in Japan