Trial by jury is an act of faith. Will jurors – a group of ordinary citizens – be reasonable? Sensible? Fair? For centuries, the answer to these questions has usually been “yes". But two cases that concluded this month have led to some having doubts.
The principle is simple. In countries with roots in English common law, the justice system pulls together diverse adults who may have nothing much in common. They listen to a legal case. Then they are expected to agree about whether a defendant is guilty or innocent. Where capital punishment is allowed, a jury’s decision is literally a matter of life or death.
In two highly publicised cases, however, the jury system has come under unusual scrutiny.
In the US, two jurors in the Ghislaine Maxwell paedophilia trial were revealed to have a history of being sexually abused. There are now rumblings that a mistrial may be declared. Meanwhile in the UK, four people who took part in a Black Lives Matter protest have been acquitted by a jury of a relatively minor charge of criminal damage after throwing a statue of Edward Colston into docks in the city of Bristol.
Like most people in Britain, I had no idea who Colston was until the protest. He is described as a “philanthropist” who gave money to charitable causes, but the protests revealed his “benevolence" came from the fortune he made as a slave trader and deputy governor of the Royal African Company, the biggest British player in the slave trade. The historian David Olusoga, who appeared in court as a defence witness, noted Colston was involved in the enslavement of 84,000 men, women and children and “complicit in the deaths of 19,000 of them, who died squirming in agony, chained to the decks of the Royal African Company’s slave ships".
No one disputes the four accused damaged the Colston statue. But the jury did what juries are supposed to do. They used common sense. They decided that a political protest to remove a monument to someone complicit in mass murder did not merit a guilty verdict. The “Colston Four” were acquitted, but the jury’s refusal to convict outraged some British Conservative politicians.
The former cabinet minister Robert Jenrick said the “rule of law” was undermined “if we accept vandalism and criminal damage are acceptable forms of political protest". The Conservative MP Tom Hunt said he was “deeply concerned by the precedent set here". And the Attorney General Suella Braverman tweeted: “Trial by jury is an important guardian of liberty and must not be undermined. However, the decision in the Colston statue case is causing confusion. Without affecting the result of this case, as attorney general, I am able to refer matters to the court of appeal so that senior judges have the opportunity to clarify the law for future cases. I am carefully considering whether to do so.”
Some politicians are wedded to the idea that old statues must be preserved, yet undermine the history of jury trials
Politicians are entitled to their views but these three come from a party where Black Lives Matter is considered part of Britain’s “culture wars” and their arguments against the jury’s verdict are quite odd. Mr Hunt presumably does not know that in English law, no legal precedent is set by the decision of a jury. Ms Braverman states that trial by jury “must not be undermined", and then undermines it by saying that a verdict of not guilty “is causing confusion” and she is considering what to do about it. Why is she confused? The verdict was clear: "not guilty". And Mr Jenrick is concerned about the “rule of law”, yet when he himself was the British government’s housing minister, he was forced to accept that he acted unlawfully. He gave approval to a multi-million-pound housing scheme against the advice of his own planning inspector. The scheme was financed by a billionaire donor to the Conservatives.
Paradoxically these politicians are wedded to the idea that old statues of often obscure historical figures must be preserved, yet simultaneously they undermine the much more important history of jury trials. For centuries, the jury system has been cherished as a pillar of English justice.
Now independent legal figures have pushed back against this crass political interference. Ken Macdonald, formerly England’s director of public prosecutions, said: “It is difficult to think of a case more appropriate to be decided by a randomly selected panel of local people. Juries have always been given the space to do what they think is right, sometimes by using their verdicts to assert changing values or to push back against abuses of power. This dispensation has served our country very well over the centuries, and ministers would be very foolish to try to challenge it – particularly for what appear to be political motives pushed by backbench Conservative MPs.”
I don’t endorse vandalism, but if a jury finds removing a statue of a slave trader – or for that matter, a statue of Saddam Hussein, Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin – to be lawful, I trust the judgement of my fellow citizens more than the posturing of a few politicians. Justice has been done.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
The Baghdad Clock
Shahad Al Rawi, Oneworld
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Company profile
Date started: Founded in May 2017 and operational since April 2018
Founders: co-founder and chief executive, Doaa Aref; Dr Rasha Rady, co-founder and chief operating officer.
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: Health-tech
Size: 22 employees
Funding: Seed funding
Investors: Flat6labs, 500 Falcons, three angel investors
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