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Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Trial & Verdict

Jury

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/ˈdʒʊəri/nounCore term

In criminal law & justice, jury means: A group of ordinary citizens, usually twelve in serious criminal cases, who listen to the evidence at a trial and decide whether the defendant is guilty.

In Turkish: jüri, jüri heyeti

How it is used

Central to trials in England and Wales and the US: 'the jury retired to consider its verdict', 'jury service', 'trial by jury'. Each member is a 'juror'. The judge decides questions of law and the sentence; the jury decides the facts and guilt.

Example sentences

  1. The jury found him guilty by a majority of ten to two.

  2. Members of the jury, you must decide this case only on the evidence.

  3. She was called for jury service last spring.

Common collocations

  • trial by jury
  • jury service
  • jury verdict
  • the jury retired
  • hung jury
  • verdictThe decision at the end of a trial on whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty, especially the decision of a jury.
  • trialThe formal process in court in which evidence is presented and a judge or jury decides whether the defendant is guilty of the charges.
  • beyond reasonable doubtThe standard of proof in criminal cases: the evidence must be so strong that no reasonable person would doubt the defendant's guilt.
  • guiltyOfficially judged by a court to have committed a crime; the opposite verdict is 'not guilty'.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Trial & Verdict

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.