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INFLUENCE OF MEDIA ON
THE JURY VERDICT
ELENE KAVTUASHVILI
LLM
New Criminal Procedure Code entred legal force on October 1, 2010, that
established novelty in Georgian judiciary, this is jury trail.
In the developed countries, jury trail is considered to be the most democratic
form of administration of justice. It is considered that impartial and independent
representatives of the society make decision, however, in reality verdict of the
jury is affected by number of external factors.
Article “Influence of Media on Jury Verdict” – offers an overview of one of
the strongest factor influencing judicial decisions and this is the role of media in
ensuring justice and fairness. For this purpose, author analyzes Georgian legislation
that provides safeguards for the freedoms of speech and expression, also
studies foreign case law, where jury trail already has history. Article offers an
overview of the measures that are taken to protect jurors from the media influence
and analyzes already conducted jury trails.
At the end of the Article, there are specific recommendations for the successful
implementation of the jury trail in Georgia, so that access to information for
public is not damaged, and still fair verdict is issued.
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