City Research Online

Abstract

The ultimate decision that a jury makes in a criminal trial is whether the prosecution has proved that the accused is guilty of the crime alleged. To make this decision jurors need to have a sound grasp of the very high standard of proof that the prosecution must meet. For this reason, the judge’s direction on the standard of proof is one of the most important directions that the jury will receive. This article identifies issues in the Crown Court Compendium’s model direction and associated legal guidance and suggests some simple changes which might aid juror comprehension, reduce the need for juries to ask questions and, when they do ask questions, make it easier for judges to answer them.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2026 Sweet & Maxwell. This is the accepted manuscript of an article published by Sweet & Maxwell. Please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions for information on re-use.
Subjects:	K Law > K Law (General)
Departments:	The City Law School The City Law School > Professional Programmes
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

Export

Downloads