Under British and Australian Laws a Jury in a Criminal Case Has no Access to Information – IELTS Writing Task 2

Under British and Australian laws a jury in a criminal case has no access to information about the defendant’s past criminal record. This protects the person who is being accused of the crime. Some lawyers have suggested that this practice should be changed and that a jury should be given all the past facts before they reach their decision about the case. Do you agree or disagree?

Outline

Essay Type

Opinion essay

Introduction

State your opinion clearly (whether you agree or disagree). Explain in brief what you are going to write in the body of your essay.

Law juries in the United Kingdom and Australia provide juries no access to the defendant’s past criminal record. However, some legal professionals have expressed their opinion that the process should be changed.

Body

Paragraph 1: If the suspect’s prior record is unknown, the judgment will be hampered and unjust owing to the suspect’s lack of history.

Paragraph 2: Clearly, any information on the individual involved in the inquiry is critical to uncovering the truth.

Conclusion

Restate your opinion in clear and direct sentences.

Sample Essay

When a judge has little information, deciding on a fair verdict is extremely difficult. Law juries in the United Kingdom and Australia provide juries no access to the defendant’s past criminal record. However, some legal professionals have expressed their opinion that the process should be changed. They opine that prior information should be disclosed before the responsible individual to help him make an informed decision. In my opinion, I believe that this law should be altered because the chances of making wrong decisions would be reduced. In the following paragraphs, I shall explain my point of view in detail.

Primarily, people in committees are appointed as judges to make a fair decision and pass judgment based on provided evidence. However, if the suspect’s prior record is unknown, the judgment will be hampered and unjust, owing to the lack of history of the suspect. Also, convicts would not hesitate to lie that they will not repeat the act. Since there is no history maintained, they will get the liberty to commit the same crime again.

Additionally, understanding the suspect’s entire character, including both old and new data, might be important in locating the missing piece of the puzzle. For example, the perpetrator has a history of police reports of racial discrimination. Then, a few months later, a homicide occurred in which the suspect murdered the victim. The jury will have an easier time connecting the dots. Clearly, any information on the individual involved in the inquiry is critical to uncovering the truth.

However, some people argue that nations such as Australia and the United Kingdom enacted this provision to ensure that the jury does not make a biased judgment based on a person’s prior actions since individuals may change. Yet, by enacting such legislation, the government is giving an unfair edge to certain criminals.

Overall, laws that preserve a criminal’s prior history should be changed. Otherwise, members of the jury will be unable to make an informed decision, and their verdicts can go wrong and risk the lives of innocent people.

Vocabulary

• Verdict 

Meaning: (noun) a decision on an issue of fact in a civil or criminal case or an inquest.

Eg: The jury announced the verdict.

• Disclosed 

Meaning: (verb) make (secret or new information) known.

Eg: The agenda of the meeting was yet to be disclosed.

Prior

• Meaning: (adjective) existing or coming before in time, order, or importance.

Eg: Sheila has no prior knowledge of Python coding.

• Alter

Meaning: (verb) change in character or composition, typically in a comparatively small but significant way.

Eg: Due to unfavorable weather conditions, the plan had to be altered.

• Hampered 

Meaning: (verb) hinder or impede the movement or progress of.

Eg: The distribution process was hampered due to the absence of authorities.

• Jeopardy

Meaning: (noun) danger of loss, harm, or failure.

Eg: Thousands of jobs are in jeopardy.

• Perpetrator 

Meaning: (noun) a person who carries out a harmful, illegal, or immoral act.

Eg: The evidence helps to trace the perpetrator.

• Homicide

Meaning: (noun) the killing of one person by another.

Eg: The suspect was charged with homicide.

• Enacted

Meaning: (verb) make (a bill or other proposal) law.

Eg: The government enacted the law today.

•  Biased

Meaning: (adjective) unfairly prejudiced for or against someone or something.

Eg: Authorities are biased against women.

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