Fiona Onasanya Retrial

[Spicerack]

Jury, surprisingly in my view, couldn't come to a majority decision.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/26/jury-fail-reach-verdict-case-labour-mp-fiona-onasanya1/

[jackthehat]

a) She's not a *proven liar*;
b) the jury are far better placed to judge the case on the facts (and that will consist of more than her being black/nigerian/driving a car);
c) suggestions that the racial make-up of the Jury could explain 'why' this case hasn't been a slam-dunk for the Prosecution (i.e. any black Jurors will be naturally pre-disposed to finding her Not Guilty) really ought to have no place on a forum like this.

[Ellipsis]

I'd be more interested in the IQ make-up of the jury.

It makes you wonder how anybody gets found guilty for something genuinely complicated ...

[Ellipsis]

(or innocent for that matter)

[sunny-dave]

Question for NJ or BM - can barristers (defence or prosecution) seek to influence the sex or race balance of a jury by 'challenging' a certain number of jurors without giving a reason? Or have I been watching too much US crime drama on TV?

[dannyk13]

Dave //Or have I been watching too much US crime drama on TV?//
Apparently you have.

[EDDIE51]

As said , we can not know what the evidence was so we can't comment.

[Canary42]

/// the jury are far better placed to judge the case on the facts ///

Quite right. There are too many bigots ready to condemn based on Right Wing newspaper reports.

[Barmaid]

NJ is best to comment but I *think* Defence cannot challenge but Pros can in certain cases. But it is rarely used.

[dannyk13]

Dave,scroll down to 'Challenging the Jury'
https://www.inbrief.co.uk/legal-system/jury-selection-process/

[sanmac]

"...(i.e. any black Jurors will be naturally pre-disposed to finding her Not Guilty) really ought to have no place on a forum like this."
Seeing as not one of us, I suspect, was in the court-room during this case, and as we are all speculating and guessing then just about anything has a place on a forum like this: You do not get to dictate the contents of the thread, JTH.

[naomi24]

jackthehat, // She's not a *proven liar*//

I can't access the Telegraph link but the one I provided from the local newspaper says this:

//A Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) was sent back to authorities claiming a Russian //an was behind the wheel of her Nissan Micra …Inquiries revealed he was in Russia with his parents at the time.//

[New Judge]

"NJ is best to comment but I *think* Defence cannot challenge but Pros can in certain cases. But it is rarely used."

Yes I answered this query in another related question a day or two back. The right of the defence to challenge jurors was abolished in 1988 but it remains available to the prosecution. However, its use is controlled under strict guidelines issued by the Attorney-General (which are too lengthy to go into here). Suffice it to say that such a challenge is not available in ordinary prosecutions such as this.

[jackthehat]

Naomi - The court case is to establish whether she is guilty of, amongst other things, lying....as there is no verdict as of yet, she is *not* a proven liar.....a suspected liar/accused of lying? yes. But not yet proven.

[naomi24]

I didn't say it has been proven in court, but the evidence proves it. Splitting hairs doesn't change that, jackthehat.

[jackthehat]

What?!?
A newspaper report says that evidence exists that proves that she's a liar and that somehow trumps 'legal evidence' presented in court?

And *I'm* the one splitting hairs....? LoL

[naomi24]

//A newspaper report says that evidence exists that proves that she's a liar and that somehow trumps 'legal evidence' presented in court? //

I didn't say that either, jackthehat. You've moved on from splitting hairs to making it up.

[naomi24]

Oops ... err ... lol. (That is how it goes, isn't it?).

[jackthehat]

Perhaps it was an incorrect inference on my part (I don't make things up).....

Her brother has admitted incorrectly completing the NIP and sending it back to the authorities.

Quite how *that* proves she is a liar, I am not sure.

[Barmaid]

//She is a proven liar and has admitted three charges of perverting the course of justice//

To be fair to Naomi, if she's admitted that, it's pretty obvious..........

[naomi24]

Thank you Barmaid.