jury
noun /ˈdʒʊəri/
/ˈdʒʊri/
[countable + singular or plural verb] (plural juries)
Idioms - (also panel, jury panel especially in North American English)a group of members of the public who listen to the facts of a case in a court and decide whether or not somebody is guilty of a crime, or whether a claim has been proved
- members of the jury
- The jury has/have returned a verdict of guilty.
- on a jury to be/sit/serve on a jury
- by jury the right to trial by jury
Collocations Criminal justiceCriminal justiceBreaking the lawsee also grand jury- break/violate/obey/uphold the law
- be investigated/arrested/tried for a crime/a robbery/fraud
- be arrested/ (especially North American English) indicted/convicted on charges of rape/fraud/(especially US English) felony charges
- be arrested on suspicion of arson/robbery/shoplifting
- be accused of/be charged with murder/(especially North American English) homicide/four counts of fraud
- face two charges of indecent assault
- admit your guilt/liability/responsibility (for something)
- deny the allegations/claims/charges
- confess to a crime
- grant/be refused/be released on/skip/jump bail
- stand/await/bring somebody to/come to/be on trial
- take somebody to/come to/settle something out of court
- face/avoid/escape prosecution
- seek/retain/have the right to/be denied access to legal counsel
- hold/conduct/attend/adjourn a hearing/trial
- sit on/influence/persuade/convince the jury
- sit/stand/appear/be put/place somebody in the dock
- plead guilty/not guilty to a crime
- be called to/enter (British English) the witness box
- take/put somebody on the stand/(North American English) the witness stand
- call/subpoena/question/cross-examine a witness
- give/hear the evidence against/on behalf of somebody
- raise/withdraw/overrule an objection
- reach a unanimous/majority verdict
- return/deliver/record a verdict of not guilty/unlawful killing/accidental death
- convict/acquit the defendant of the crime
- secure a conviction/your acquittal
- lodge/file an appeal
- appeal (against)/challenge/uphold/overturn a conviction/verdict
- pass sentence on somebody
- carry/face/serve a seven-year/life sentence
- receive/be given the death penalty
- be sentenced to ten years (in prison/jail)
- carry/impose/pay a fine (of $3 000)/a penalty (of 14 years imprisonment)
- be imprisoned/jailed for drug possession/fraud/murder
- do/serve time/ten years
- be sent to/put somebody in/be released from jail/prison
- be/put somebody/spend X years on death row
- be granted/be denied/break (your) parole
Culture juriesjuriesUnder the legal system of England and Wales, and also that of Scotland, a person accused of a serious crime who pleads ‘not guilty’ to the crime will be tried by a jury. Juries also hear some civil cases (= when people disagree about their rights) but this is very rare. In the US juries are also used in both criminal and civil cases, though the rules vary from state to state.In Britain jurors (= jury members) are selected at random for each trial from lists of adults who have the right to vote. They must be between the ages of 18 and 70. Anybody called for jury service usually has to attend court for about two weeks, although some cases may go on for much longer. In England and Wales 12 people sit on a jury, in Scotland 15. A larger number of people are asked to attend court and the final jury is selected at random from among them. Lawyers representing either side in a case have the right to object to a particular person being on the jury.After the jury has heard the evidence presented by both sides, it retires to the jury room, a private room, to discuss the case. When all members of the jury agree, they return their verdict (= go back into court and say whether the accused is guilty or not guilty). In Scotland they can also return a verdict of not proven, which means that the accused has not been proved guilty and they can go free. The verdict is announced by the foreman (= the person chosen by the jury as their leader). Sometimes the jury cannot all agree and the judge may accept a majority verdict, provided that no more than two members of the jury disagree. If no majority verdict is reached, this is called a hung jury and the trial is abandoned and started again with a different jury. It is not the responsibility of the jury to decide punishment, though in certain civil cases they may decide how much compensation (= money given by one person another to cancel out damage, loss, etc. caused) should be paid.In the US most juries have 12 members, though some have only six. Otherwise the system is very similar to that in England and Wales. When people are called for jury duty they must go, but people who cannot leave their jobs or homes can be excused. Before a trial begins lawyers ask questions to see if jurors will be impartial (= do not have strong opinions that would prevent them making a decision based on the facts). Lawyers can challenge for cause, if they can give the judge a good reason why somebody should not be a juror. They also have a number of peremptory challenges, which means they can object to somebody without giving a reason. In some trials it can be difficult to find 12 people who are impartial, especially if a case has received a lot of attention in the news. Lawyers sometimes do research to find out what kind of person is most likely to support their side, and use challenges to keep other people off the jury. In a criminal trial the jury decides whether the accused person is guilty or not guilty, but does not decide on a punishment. In a civil trial they may decide how much money should be paid in compensation. If the jury cannot reach a verdict it is declared a mistrial, the trial is abandoned and a retrial is held with a new jury.Extra ExamplesTopics Law and justiceb2- A retrial was necessary after the original trial ended with a hung jury.
- He was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of distributing illegal steroids.
- Her evidence finally swayed the jury.
- The jury awarded her damages of £30 000.
- The jury convicted Menzies of assaulting Smith.
- The jury delivered a unanimous verdict.
- The jury were unanimous in their verdict.
- The new jury were sworn in.
- There were only three women on the jury.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- inquest
- trial
- grand
- …
- serve on
- sit on
- tell
- …
- hear something
- investigate something
- retire
- …
- duty
- service
- trial
- …
- before a jury
- on a/the jury
- jury of
- …
- the foreman of the jury
- members of the jury
- trial by jury
- …
- a group of people who decide who is the winner of a competition
- on a jury He was on the jury for this year's Booker Prize.
Extra Examples- He was on a jury judging a songwriting competition.
- The jury consisted of an architect, a photographer and an artist.
- The jury has awarded the prize for best exhibit in the show to Harry Pearson.
- The jury is selected from the winners in previous years.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + jury- choose
- select
- judge something
- consist of somebody
- award (somebody) something
- …
- on a/the jury
- jury for
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French juree ‘oath, inquiry’, from Latin jurata, feminine past participle of jurare ‘swear’, from jus, jur- ‘law’.
Idioms
the jury is (still) out on something
- used when you are saying that something is still not certain
- The jury is still out on whether wine can be good for you.