THE MODERN JURY

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 314, 9 May 1911, Page 7

THE MODERN JURY

At a dinner given by the City of London Solicitors' Company the Lord Chief Justice^ replying to the toast oi " The Legal Profession," said that Sir Homewood Crawford had spoken of the constitution of juries. He wished they had theaservices of the same class of jurors now as they had when he used to practise m the old Guildhall. Then the juries were composed of merchants and brokers who were thoroughly acquainted with business, and who, often by a few questions, , showed that they knew more about the case than the Judge or the barristers. He regretted very much the change m the qualification. It had 'been a matter of great regret that until recently, except m the. Commercial Court, the standard of jurors m trying trade cases was not what was desired. He hoped that something had been done m that way by. directing that London' cases should be tried before the jurors of the Commercial Court, and thus the list of jurors would include a large number of those whose names it was desirable to have m consequence^ of ; their experience and position, and their decisions would command respect. If the Solicitors' Company would assist him to bring about some changes of the law which would improve the standard of their jurors they would be conferring a great benefit on all concrened. -