I have three points to make in response to Prof Richard Vogler’s article on jury conscience (Trudi Warner reveals the dark secret of English courts: juries do have the right to follow their consciences, 27 September). First, every juror swears an oath or gives solemn affirmation to “faithfully try the defendant and give a true verdict according to the evidence”. It says nothing about their conscience. A verdict based on personal conscience or the political belief, for example, that a particular law was unjust or oppressive would be perverse.
Second, in that context, the alleged carrying of banners stating that potential jurors have an absolute right to acquit according to their conscience is not only misleading, it may also be regarded as tantamount to jury nobbling.
