Some systems place fact-finding in the hands of ordinary citizens. A jury is a group of community members sworn to hear evidence and decide factual issues in a trial, returning a verdict according to the law as instructed by the judge.

Criminal juries in many jurisdictions must be unanimous to convict; civil jury rules vary. Lawyers select jurors through questioning aimed at uncovering bias. During trial the jury listens to testimony, examines exhibits, and deliberates in private.

Jury service is both a right of the accused in serious criminal cases and a civic duty for citizens. The institution injects community values into adjudication and serves as a check on professional judges and prosecutors. Instructions and evidentiary rules aim to focus jurors on permissible considerations only.

• Panel of citizens deciding facts at trial
• Receives legal instructions from the judge
• Returns a verdict after deliberation
• Central to many criminal and some civil trials