Abstract
Comprehension difficulties faced by lay jurors in the courtroom are well documented. As early as 1979, research demonstrated that long, complex sentences and certain grammatical structures as well as specialized terms often used in U.S. jury instructions create severe difficulties for jurors. There is a clear consensus among linguists and other social scientists today that jury instructions used in most Adversarial or Common Law jurisdictions need revision. This article briefly traces the history of jury instructions (particularly in the United States), describes and illustrates problems, then describes needed revisions and discusses reform efforts in progress.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
