Rights or rituals: why juries can do more harm than good
Citizens' Juries are used in Europe and the USA as one means of improving public involvement in policy decision-making, particularly in the area of local government. In this brief article, the author explores the more negative aspects of Citizens' Juries that have emerged, using the case of the Welsh Citizens' Jury, as an example. Because of the scientific nature of the issue being discussed - human genetic testing - the jury were briefed on the background of genetic testing. Problems arose concerning the potential subjectivity of the jurors because of their prior knowledge and experience.