Jury Directions

Jury directions are provided to jurors by a judge at the end of a trial. These directions outline the law, which jurors are supposed to follow in order to reach a verdict. It is well-documented that jurors have difficulty understanding the law provided in these directions, and that simplifying these directions can improve their understanding. As a result, legal systems are currently focused on simplifying directions, in order to increase the likelihood of reaching a legally correct verdict. However, the extent to which jurors’ actually use the directions is unclear. Our research will investigate whether simplified directions enhance jurors’ use of the directions to reach their verdicts. In doing so, we will also examine the effect of simplified directions on group decision-making processes.

Investigators

 

Funding

  • McKimmie, B. M. (2009). $32,035.30 over 5 months – Jury directions research project. Queensland Law Reform Commission

 

Publications

  • McKimmie, B. M., Antrobus, E., & Baguley, C. (2014). Objective and subjective comprehension of jury instructions in criminal trials. New Criminal Law Review, 17(2), 163-183.
  • McKimmie, B., Antrobus, E., & Davis, I. (2009). Jurors’ Trial Experiences: The Influence of Directions and Other Aspects of Trials. Brisbane, Queensland, University of Queensland, School of Psychology. Report prepared for the Queensland Law Reform Commission.
  • McKimmie, B. & Havas, K. (2009). An Experiment to Test the Effect of Simplifying Directions. Brisbane, Queensland, University of Queensland, School of Psychology. Submission prepared for the Queensland Law Reform Commission.
  • QLRC R66 (Volume 1), (Volume 2)