Jury

A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence, make findings of fact, and render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment.

Juries developed in England during the Middle Ages and are a hallmark of the English common law system. They are commonly used in countries whose legal systems derive from the British Empire, such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Ireland. While juries are not used in most other countries, whose legal systems based upon either European civil law or Islamic sharia law, there use has been growing.

Most trial juries are "petit juries", and usually consist of twelve people. A larger jury known as a grand jury has been used to investigate potential crimes and render indictments against suspects.