Corruption of juries

Harassment of juries
Jury rigging
Jury nobbling

Nature

The corruption of a jury is so that a desired verdict is reached. The number of jurors corrupted varies from country to country depending on the number needed for a guilty verdict. Jurors may be influenced through bribery, threats to the timid, pleas of innocence to the impressionable (usually by an attractive member of the opposite sex), the trial judge, or pleas of being falsely accused to the anti-establishment.

Background

The corruption of juries has been a concern since the earliest days of trial by jury, with documented cases emerging in medieval England and colonial America. Its global significance grew as jury systems spread, revealing vulnerabilities to bribery, intimidation, and undue influence. High-profile scandals, such as the 1995 O.J. Simpson trial in the USA and cases in India and Russia, have heightened international awareness of the persistent threat jury corruption poses to judicial integrity.

Incidence

Police estimate that in London alone as many as 12 cases a year are halted and re-tried because jury nobbling has been discovered. There is no estimate of the number of trials in which nobbling remains undetected.

Claim

Corruption of juries is a grave threat to justice and democracy. When jurors are bribed, intimidated, or otherwise compromised, the entire legal system is undermined. Innocent people can be wrongfully convicted, and the guilty can walk free. This not only destroys public trust in the courts but also erodes the very foundation of a fair society. Addressing jury corruption must be an urgent priority for any nation that values justice.

Counter-claim

Concerns about jury corruption are vastly overstated and distract from real issues in the justice system. There is little credible evidence that jury tampering is widespread or significantly impacts verdicts. The rigorous selection process, judicial oversight, and severe penalties for misconduct make corruption extremely rare. Focusing on this supposed problem only undermines public trust in juries, when in reality, they remain one of the most reliable and fair components of our legal system.