Juries and the web

The Guardian asks if the internet is destroying juries today in an article with much to think about, including a nice description of Bushel’s case.

The crux of is that unrestricted internet access may tempt jurors to start researching aspects of their case, from, I suppose, facebook profiles to information on expert witnesses… the ramifications of this can be seen in the Karakaya case where the conviction of a man charged with raping a 14-year-old girl was retried, resulting in an acquittal, after it emerged that jurors had been consulting the internet during the case. The author surmises that the internet may be a greater threat to the institution of the jury than, for example, jury nobbling, and she has a point.

Jury trial under threat…again! [17 Jan 2012]
Self-Defence [7 Oct 2011]
A landmark case for the jury [20 Jul 2011]
Sentencing Reform Podcast [8 Jul 2011]
Jury trial and the internet [16 Jun 2011]
Government set to axe sentencing reforms? [8 Jun 2011]
Silk… [23 Feb 2011]
Free interactive resource! [25 Jan 2011]
Twitter Joke Trial [22 Nov 2010]
Important changes to homicide law [24 Sep 2010]
Guardian Law [13 May 2010]
Magna Carta [22 Mar 2010]
The Angola 3 [10 Mar 2010]
Are juries fair? [21 Feb 2010]
Coroner’s Courts [24 Jan 2010]
Juries and mental illness [11 Jan 2010]
First criminal trial without a jury for 400 years to go ahead next week [8 Jan 2010]
Great story for English Legal System revision generally… [7 Dec 2009]
Reform of libel law [22 Nov 2009]
Revision Presentation - Introduction to Criminal and Civil Law [21 Oct 2009]