Internet 'could Snuff Out Jury System'

The jury network might not tarry if it is undermined by amicable networking sites, England's tip panel of judges has said.

In a harangue published on Friday the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, lifted leading concerns about the use of the internet by jurors.

He said: "If the jury network is to tarry as the network for a satisfactory trial... the injustice of the internet by jurors must stop."

Lord Judge mentioned a few jurors had used the internet to investigate a rape case.

Earlier this year a panel of judges in Manchester had to boot a jury and restart a trial, The Sun reported, after a juror went onto her Facebook page, gave sum of a hearing and asked friends: "Did he do it?"

Lord Judge, who is the many comparison panel of judges in England and Wales, mentioned it was as well easy for campaigners to torpedo Twitter with messages in a bid to put pressure on jurors who might be seeking at it.

He said: "We cannot end people tweeting, but if jurors look at such material, the risks to the integrity of the hearing will be really serious, and eventually the sincerity of the hearing routine on that you all rely, would be damaged."

Lord Judge added: "We cannot agree to that the use of the internet, or rsther than its misuse, should be concurred and treated with colour as an ineradicable fact of life, or that a Nelsonian blind eye should be incited to it or the probability that it is happening.

"If it is not addressed, the injustice of the internet represents a hazard to the jury network that depends, and righteously depends, on indication supposing in justice that the suspect can listen to and if vital challenge."

He mentioned judges must be inform jurors in the strongest conditions not to use the internet to investigate cases or to give sum of cases they are comparing opinions on.

He wants the observe in jury bedrooms to be nice to add a bell that such investigate could amount to a disregard of court. He lifted the awaiting of sentencing jurors who use the internet for research.

Lord Judge even referred to sending content messages from justice buildings should be banned.

The BBC's Legal Affairs Analyst, Clive Coleman, said: "This is the strongest and many minute legal care of the hazard to the crook justice network acted by jurors using modern technology. It raises leading questions of how to military and end internet use."