#jury-instructions

#jury-instructions

The jury in the trial of Ruth Lawrence can return alternative verdicts of assisting an offender if they find the prosecution has not made out their case beyond a reasonable doubt that she was part of a joint enterprise to murder a drug dealer and his friend over a decade ago. Mr Justice Tony Hunt yesterday delivered his charge to the 12-person jury, in which he explained the legal principles that they will apply when considering the evidence.

Conventional wisdom would dictate you play the percentages, and if most cases settle, why prepare them as if they may go to trial? There is a misunderstanding underlying this approach, which reveals a paradox. The paradox is that if you treat every case as if it were going to trial, you're more likely to settle them on favorable terms, less likely to try these cases, and if you do, are more prepared to try them if they go.