Guidance and information for jurors
The Gillen Review said ‘social media must not be permitted to pollute the stream of justice and defeat the interests of both complainants and accused persons’.
The Review therefore makes a series of recommendations aimed at ensuring jurors understand the consequences of both researching and / or posting information about their trial and to give the judiciary additional powers to deal with any breach.
The DOJ, in conjunction with the Lady Chief Justice’s Office and the NI Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) has published a booklet that sets out guidance for jurors on their legal responsibilities, contempt of court and on the laws around their use of social media during and after trials. All sworn jurors are required to read the booklet prior to the commencement of the trial and posters highlighting this information are in place in all courthouses.
The booklet is also available at the publication section of this website.
The messages conveyed in the booklets and posters are further emphasised in a series of videos that all jurors are required to watch prior to the trial. The suite of videos can be found here - NICTS jury information videos | Department of Justice
The jury booklet is also available on the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA) Hub, which provides resources to support teachers. The availability of the booklet has been highlighted in CCEA’s quarterly e-bulletin to all teachers as well as on their social media channels. The Department of Education has been requested to promote this resource as part of the Learning for Life and Work curriculum which aims to encourage greater civic responsibility and includes modules on juries, jury responsibilities and contempt laws.