THE JURY SYSTEM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 201, 23 February 1914, Page 2

THE JURY SYSTEM.

MAJORITY VKKIMIT ADYOCATKD. By Telegraph—Press Association. Friday. Tho failure of juries to agree upon a rerdict in several of the recent eases arising out of the- strike has been briefly commented upon more than once by the Chief Justice, who remarked when ordering the re-hearing of the sedition charge against W. T. Young that (he present session should be a lesson to Parliament. He had been advocating an alteration for fourteen years past. Today a reporter sought further information from his Honor on this subject.. Sir Robert explained that what he wanted to see introduced was a majority verdict. In Scotland, conviction or acquittal was secured by eight votes to seven of the jurymen engaged. The majority verdict in criminal cases was also the rule in France, Germany, and several States in America, In some instances the requisite majority was nine to three, and it was this rule which his Honor advocated.

"Wo liaVe the nine-to-three rule applied in all civil cases after the jury has been out three hours," said Sir Robert, "and tlie same law should be adopted in criminal cases. Scotland has gone on very well with the bare majority for centuries."

Asked if the rule were of general application in that country, his Honor slated that it was applied to all classes of criminal cases, even to murder trials.