#612 | Should Britain Abolish Jury Trials?

第612期 | 英国应废除陪审团审判吗?

English Learning for Curious Minds

2026-05-22

23 分钟
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Who should decide if you are guilty: the state, or a group of 12 ordinary citizens?   England is now considering getting rid of jury trials for thousands of cases. It would be the biggest change to the justice system since the Middle Ages.   Crown Court backlog: years-long waits for trials. Government bill to limit juries for mid-level offences. Serious crimes still keep juries: murder, rape, terrorism. Legal community warns against losing a key safeguard. How jury trials work in England and Wales. England uses juries; Europe uses judge-led trials. History: Athens, Assize of Clarendon, Magna Carta. Purpose of juries: legitimacy, independence, protect against state power. Jury nullification shown: Penn, Ponting, Bristol Colston statue. Debate: efficiency versus rights, slippery slope concerns. Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/jury-trials --- You might like: 🔓 Unlock bonus episodes, interactive transcripts, subtitles & vocabulary lists ✨ 5 Powerful Tips for Learning English with Podcasts (Faster & Effectively!) [YouTube] 📹 A look inside Leonardo English membership 📧 Join our FREE weekly newsletter--- Keywords: Learn English, vocabulary, lessons, idioms, aprende inglés, idiomas, aprender inglês, apprendre l'anglais, imparare l’inglese, ingilizce öğren,英語を習う, تعلم الإنجليزية
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单集文稿 ...

  • Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to English Learning for Curious Minds by Leonardo English,

  • the show where you can listen to fascinating stories

  • and learn weird and wonderful things about the world at the same time as improving your English.

  • I'm Alistair Budge, and today we are going to be talking about the law,

  • specifically jury trials in Britain and their future.

  • The role of jury trials is a subject of ongoing debate and the law might well be changing.

  • So today we are going to look at the unusual idea and uneven

  • history of the jury and at how 12 strangers with no legal training can decide whether someone is guilty or not guilty.

  • But before we get right into today's episode, I want to remind

  • you that you can become a member of Leonardo English and follow along with the interactive transcript

  • and subtitles over on the website, which is leonardoenglish.com.

  • Membership of Leonardo English gives you access to more than double the number of episodes,

  • plus all of our learning materials, including instant translations in 12 languages, study packs, and much, much more.

  • To take the next step on your English learning journey, the place to go is leonardoenglish.com.

  • Okay then, let's not waste a minute and get right into it.

  • Imagine you are charged with a crime in England today.

  • Not a minor traffic offence, something serious, fraud or assault.

  • You maintain that you are innocent.

  • You are certain you can prove it.

  • And of course, you are innocent.