When did the law system introduce the jury system and was it made up of experts or peers?
The first juries existed in ancient Greece. Almost all juries throughout history are made up of “peers”- basically, other guys just like you. Here’s how it works: In a criminal trial, there will be 12 jurors who sit in on the case. More jurors will be called, but you and your lawyer can “challenge” some. You can challenge “for cause” if there is a legitimate reason that a person should not be on your jury, and you also have a few “peremptory challenges”, where you can challenge them for no reason at all. If you plead not guilty, the jury then watches the trial and listens to the evidence. It is then up to them to decide whether or not you are guilty. Depending on the state and crime, they might need a majority, or they might need to be unanamous (if they can’t agree, it’s called a “hung jury” and they need to start again). Jurors in most countries can return a verdict of “guilty” or “not guilty”. In Scotland, they also have one called “not proven”, which they can use if they think you’
