New inquiry launched into support for jurors in England and Wales

The Courts and Tribunals Bill is currently making its way through Parliament. The committee wants to determine the current levels of support for jurors, how the experience of being a juror affects people, and what might be done in the future to better support them.

Topics the committee is seeking evidence on include:

• What health and/or mental health impact does the experience of being a juror have on people?
• What health and/or mental health support exists for juries before, during, and after trials?
• What alternative or additional support could be made available to jurors?
• What responsibility does the state hold in relation to jurors’ wellbeing?

The committee invites interested individuals and organisations to submit written evidence by 6 September 2026. The committee would particularly welcome submissions from those who have served on juries.

Lord Foster of Bath, chair of the Justice and Home Affairs committee, said: “There is a long and proud tradition of jury trials in this country. Much research, debate, and column inches have been dedicated to victims, defendants, witnesses, and those within the legal profession. However, a crucial part of the criminal justice system are the thousands of ordinary people who serve on juries every year. For far too long their experience has not been heard and analysed.

“We know that for many people serving on a jury is an experience which they value; they perform their civic duty with distinction and return to their regular lives enriched by the experience. However, what research there is available shows that for a sizeable minority, the experience can be deeply affecting. For the duration of a trial, people are transported into a far murkier and harrowing world, and the things they see, hear, deliberate, and pass judgment on can be traumatic. At the end of their service, they must return to their lives, their jobs, and their family, yet are legally prevented from discussing much of what they have experienced.

“The committee has launched this inquiry to understand how the experience of being a juror affects people, and what support is available to those who are called upon to sit on juries. This inquiry will report on jurors England and Wales, but the committee welcomes hearing and learning from those in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Crown Dependencies, and from other common law jurisdictions.

“The committee would especially like to hear from those who have been jurors, that your experience may inform our conclusions and recommendations.”