Juries and Jury Service

A jury is made up of members of the public chosen at random from the local electoral register. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland a jury has 12 members; in Scotland it has 15 members. Everyone summoned must do jury service unless ineligible (e.g. has a criminal conviction) or excused for good reason (e.g. ill health). The jury listens to evidence and decides a verdict of 'guilty' or 'not guilty'. In Scotland, a third verdict of 'not proven' is possible. If guilty, the judge decides the penalty.