Petition · Ministry of Justice
Require criminal trial juries to provide reasons using a verdict questionnaire
Open for signatures
324 signatures
What the petition asks
Introduce legislation requiring criminal juries to complete a structured verdict questionnaire detailing the factual reasons for their decisions, learning from international models to ensure a transparent, appeal-resilient justice system.
English and Welsh juries deliver unreasoned verdicts, which can leave victims and defendants unable to see if the law was applied correctly. We think this lacks transparency and hinders fair appeals. Since 1995, Spain has successfully used a structured "verdict questionnaire" where juries answer specific factual questions to justify their decisions. We propose a system utilising legally vetted, standardised question templates and a judicial "pre-check" phase.
Timeline
| 18 Jun 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
324
Status
Open for signatures
Department
Ministry of Justice
Opened
18 Jun 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.