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England Has Avoided Eric Garners and Michael Browns by Doing What the U.S. Won't
December 8, 2014
The grand jury rulings in the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases have sparked outrage across the U.S. as protests have broken out across the country. But while many activists and protesters have rightfully focused on racial disparities in the criminal justice system, the rulings reveal another problem: Grand juries may be an inherently flawed way of holding police officers accountable.
The U.S. may want to take a lesson from the U.K., where the grand jury originated — and get rid of the practice entirely.
The origins of the grand jury: The system, created to check rulers' power, dates back to medieval England. Men were selected to keep an eye on their neighborhoods and report any criminal activity that they witnessed, PRI reports. In the 16th century, this practice turned into the modern grand jury system, with a secret panel of 12 citizens "listening to a prosecutor's evidence and deciding whether to indict." Most of Britain's colonies – including the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, and Australia – began to use the system.
But the U.S. stands out from the other colonies in one major way: It's the only one that still uses grand juries.
December 8, 2014
The grand jury rulings in the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases have sparked outrage across the U.S. as protests have broken out across the country. But while many activists and protesters have rightfully focused on racial disparities in the criminal justice system, the rulings reveal another problem: Grand juries may be an inherently flawed way of holding police officers accountable.
The U.S. may want to take a lesson from the U.K., where the grand jury originated — and get rid of the practice entirely.
The origins of the grand jury: The system, created to check rulers' power, dates back to medieval England. Men were selected to keep an eye on their neighborhoods and report any criminal activity that they witnessed, PRI reports. In the 16th century, this practice turned into the modern grand jury system, with a secret panel of 12 citizens "listening to a prosecutor's evidence and deciding whether to indict." Most of Britain's colonies – including the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, and Australia – began to use the system.
But the U.S. stands out from the other colonies in one major way: It's the only one that still uses grand juries.
