Grand Jury Museum

The primary aim of the Grand Jury Museum is to promote public understanding of the role and history of the Grand Jury. That must of necessity require ongoing research with respect to others forms of jury such as the accusatory jury, the trial jury, special juries, juries in appeal courts including the US Supreme Court and juries in constitutional courts.

The Grand Jury Museum will accordingly help promote public understanding of the process of abolition of the Grand Jury from the British Constitution from 1933 to 1969 along with arguments for and against reinstatement of it.

In Anglo-American law, a Grand Jury examines accusations against persons charged with crime and, if the evidence warrants, makes formal charges on which the accused persons are later tried.

The grand jury does not decide guilt or innocence. Its function is inquisitorial and accusatorial. It decides whether there is “probable cause” or “prima facie evidence” to believe that a person has committed a crime.

Should it so decide, an indictment - a formal accusation of crime - is returned and the accused must stand trial before a petit, or trial, jury whose duty is to determine the question of guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The grand jury enjoys greater independence than the petit jury. It is instructed by the court prosecutor on questions of law and fact, but its investigations are relatively free from supervision. Although the jury works closely with the prosecutor, it is not formally under his control.