Closed petition Youths to be allowed to elect jury trials when charged with an either way offence

Closed on 23 October 2013

Sign my petition.

A jury trial consists of 12 randomly selected people who assess the evidence and credibility of a witness, something which is available to ALL adults who are charged with an either way offence (an offence deemed sufficiently serious to be heard before a jury).

Youths however do not have that option. Instead their innocence or guilt is decided by either 1 District Judge or 3 Magistrates many of whom are de-sensitised to the every day offences brought to court. This is inherently unsatisfactory, especially in cases of a serious nature.

The jury system is at the heart of our criminal justice system. Jurors bring independent thought and real life experiences to a court room. It is only through this diversity of thought and opinion that a fair verdict may be delivered.