WOMEN ON THE JURY.

Free Lance, Volume XIX, Issue 1029, 17 March 1920, Page 6

WOMEN ON THE JURY.

A Glimpse of thte Future.

IT appeals that women are to be allowed to sit on juries in the Old Country. . This is in accord with the spirit of the times and the strength, and influence of the Women's Movement. It has long been the f jibe of Brutal Man that women are illogical beings, that their habit of jumping to. conclusions based on spasms of intuition unfits them for judicial responsibilities. We shall now see. The fact is, and the proof of it _ has long been perfectly plain, there is room, and plenty of it, for women on the jury, if for no other reason than to correct the unconscious bias that sways the, manmind when " there is a woman in the dock: Of course*, the thing will cut both ways, foT women are jus/fc as susceptible to the influence of unconscious bias as men, perhaps more so.

One of the awkward points to be considered is women's proneness to'rely on first impressions. If the women jurors take an instinctive dislike to the prisoner's lawyer a good deal of what that unfortunate man will say to them -will go in at one ear and out of the other. Most of the time he is arguing the case they will /bo wondering whether he. beats his wife. If an accused person Has a bad case the thing for him to do will be to hunt tip some fine upstanding manly-looking fellow with a clear, ringing voice, and a handy knack of getting in. a bit of sob atug without appearing to drag emotion, into the case by the hair of the head. Then again, women are by nature merciful, and, if the villain of the piece is able to muster up an appearance of genuine repentance and a desire to lead a better life, they will let him off if they have to stay weeks in the jury room to do it. And what

about the respondent; and the corespondent in a divorce case?- And the withering glances from the.: j,ury box? And the damages ? Phew!