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Briefing Paper Briefing Paper Amalgamated Briefing Paper on Restarting Solemn Trials Sheriff Alistair JM Duff, Director of the Judicial Institute 13 November 2020, updated 10 December 2020 JUDICIAL INSTITUTE | PARLIAMENT HOUSE | EDINBURGH Page 1 of 115 Contents Foreword ........................................................................................................................................ 5 1. COVID-19 considerations ........................................................................................................... 7 Background ................................................................................................................................. 7 The broad approach .................................................................................................................... 7 The Remote Jury Centre Model .................................................................................................. 8 Recruitment and training of staff, provision of equipment ........................................................ 8 Technical support .................................................................................................................... 9 Police presence at Jury Centres .............................................................................................. 9 Cleaning of Jury Centres ......................................................................................................... 9 Jury Citation and Balloting ........................................................................................................... 9 Confidence .............................................................................................................................. 9 Procedures ............................................................................................................................ 10 Numbers to be cited .............................................................................................................. 10 Responses/Excusals ............................................................................................................. 10 Advising Jurors of the need to attend .................................................................................... 12 Issues specific to the restart of Sheriff and Jury trials ................................................................ 12 Non-vulnerable witnesses and remote attendance ................................................................ 12 Maintaining physical distancing ............................................................................................. 12 2. The new jury directions ............................................................................................................. 14 Background ............................................................................................................................... 14 Recapping of written directions ................................................................................................. 15 Written Directions in the Sheriff Court ....................................................................................... 16 3. The trial, including the new jury directions etc ........................................................................... 17 Route map for commencement of jury trial ................................................................................ 17 Day One ................................................................................................................................ 17 Day Two ................................................................................................................................ 18 4. Detailed description of the new process .................................................................................... 20 Court room requirements .......................................................................................................... 20 The Ballot .................................................................................................................................. 20 Day One ................................................................................................................................ 21 Day Two ................................................................................................................................ 22 How do solicitors and counsel communicate? ........................................................................... 25 How do jurors communicate with court? .................................................................................... 25 Productions and documents ...................................................................................................... 26 Witnesses ................................................................................................................................. 27 Deliberating ............................................................................................................................... 27 Further considerations for Jurors ............................................................................................... 29 Travel Expenses ................................................................................................................... 29 Refreshments and lunches for juries ..................................................................................... 29 Breaks ................................................................................................................................... 29 JUDICIAL INSTITUTE | PARLIAMENT HOUSE | EDINBURGH Page 2 of 115 5. Lessons Learned from Mock Trials and from the First Trial ....................................................... 30 The jury’s perspective ............................................................................................................... 30 Decorum ................................................................................................................................... 32 Introducing the parties ............................................................................................................... 32 Audio to jury room ..................................................................................................................... 32 Audio from jury room ................................................................................................................. 32 Judge’s ability to engage with jury ............................................................................................. 33 Defence counsel or solicitor taking instructions ......................................................................... 34 Counsel addressing the jury ...................................................................................................... 34 Appendix A: Juror documents ....................................................................................................... 35 JURY CITATION ....................................................................................................................... 35 JURY SERVICE - INFORMATION SHEET ............................................................................... 38 JURY SAFETY - INFORMATION SHEET ................................................................................. 41 Appendix B: Act of Adjournal ........................................................................................................ 42 Appendix C: Juror responsibilities ................................................................................................ 44 Appendix D: Impartiality – a suggested form of words ................................................................... 48 Appendix E: COVID Jury information ............................................................................................ 52 On the jury returning after the adjournment. .............................................................................. 52 Appendix F: Introducing the case and procedure to the jury .......................................................... 53 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 53 Judge’s function ........................................................................................................................ 53 Jury’s function ........................................................................................................................... 53 Procedure ................................................................................................................................. 55 The court day ............................................................................................................................ 56 Following the trial ...................................................................................................................... 57 Privacy of the jury ..................................................................................................................... 58 Avoiding outside influence ......................................................................................................... 58 ** Suggested direction for cases which have attracted significant publicity ............................ 59 Appendix G: Written Directions for Jurors in the Scottish Courts ................................................... 61 Part A: Introduction ..................................................................................................................
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