FRENCH JURY SYSTEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21598, 19 March 1932, Page 11

FRENCH JURY SYSTEM

REFORM MAY AID INJUSTICE LONDON, March 10. The growing scandal of acquittals in respect of crimes of passion is not likely to be avoided by the reform of the French jury system. The reform, which provides that the jury and assessors shall collaborate with the judge in fixing the sentence, caused a public sensation, reports the Paris correspondent of the Manchester Guardian. Although the Bill fundamentally changes procedure, it was included with 40 other Bills rushed through to facilitate trivial measures. The Bill provides for a secret ballot wherein 12 jurymen, two assessors, and the judge shall vote in that order. If two ballots do not produce a majority for the punishment first proposed, a third is to be taken, with the severest punishment eliminated, the ballots continuing and gradually eliminating higher punishments until a clear majority is obtained for some sentence. The reform was introduced owing to frequent acquittals, due to dislike of drastic sentences. On the other hand, it is hoped that it will correct rural juries’ frequent ruthless convictions for crimes against property. In one notable instance a jury, acquitted a man of murder, despite that he killed his mistress. They then convicted him of burning a haystack, with the body on it, and for this recommended a sentence of death. The reform is likely to increase the injustices, common owing to jurymen’s lack of a sense of justice and public duty.