Have you ever thought about how people get chosen to be on the jury in Canada? Many people are going to court, and other changes have been made. Contact a lawyer such as criminal attorney Brandon for legal advice if you are involved in a court case. Here is how juries are selected and what happens during a trial, various trials and their implications if summoned for duty by a judge. Learn about jury selection and trial proceedings.

Preliminary Stage

Whenever potential jurors are called upon, they go to the court. Sometimes, there are 200 or more people in one group. Recently, this situation changed, including removing some things called peremptory challenges. In the beginning, when juries may be selected from among them, they have to come to court. They can be many, like even 200 altogether. Recently, some modifications have been made concerning this system, including the refusal of attorneys to accept jurors without any reason.

Procedure for Selection

The prospective jurors arrive at another room before the start of the trial, where they are shown a video clip. On the other hand, the accused person, judge and Crown remain in the main courtroom. The judge addresses those likely to serve as jurists, explaining how events unfold during the hearing. Then, groups of five individuals can be brought forward to check whether they could have any issues affecting fairness towards each other. If everything is fine, they become jurors until 12 members are selected. The judge discusses possible challenges with the Crown attorney and agrees.

Changes in Procedure

Earlier, lawyers representing accused persons could say no to particular jurists. They could do that, but unless there is good reason, he can only do that now. Arbitrary exclusion was also abolished, simplifying and quickening such a procedure. 

In earlier days, if an advocate thought one juror was unfair, he could say he did not want them on the jury without stating why. Today, they can only do so if they have a good reason. Additionally, they abolished peremptory challenges in favour of a more streamlined and faster process.

Types of Trials

Two main trials are available: criminal and civil. Criminal ones are for severe offences like stealing, hurting someone or even killing, where 12 jurors are chosen. Civil trials are about disagreements between individuals or companies that only need 8 jurors to determine what is right.

Conduct of the Trial

The trial judge tells jurors what to do and provides them with essential information. The prosecutor acting for the government’s interest details his thoughts in criminal cases first. Irrespective of when the trial ends, jurors are not allowed to discuss it with anyone outside the court.

Conclusion 

Jury selection is picking individuals to determine whether a person is guilty. Remember, there are rules on how lawyers can select juries now, and there are diverse types of trials for different problems. Please get in touch with us if you have any inquiries regarding this or require assistance with any issue about jury selection.