Towards ‘proper psychological support’ for jurors

The British Psychological Society has welcomed a government trial of mental health support for jurors which will be offered in 14 Crown Courts in England. Jurors will be able to self-refer for six free counselling sessions and access a 24/7 helpline for support.

London's Old Bailey, as well as courts in Birmingham, Leeds, Oxford, Bristol and Nottingham, are among the Crown Courts that will be running the pilot scheme to support jurors who are affected by the evidence they hear during the course of trials. The pilot is being funded by the Ministry of Justice with support being provided by Vita Health Group and will run for around six months.

In a statement, Justice Minister Heidi Alexander said jury service was an essential part of criminal justice. 'Offering free emotional and mental support is a significant step forward to help jurors performing a vital public service who have heard distressing and traumatic evidence in often demanding, long and high-profile cases.'

Society President Dr Roman Raczka said the BPS had previously highlighted the insufficient psychological support for jurors and added that it was encouraging to see the introduction of this pilot scheme. 'Jurors are members of the public who have been required to join court processes from their everyday lives. Exposure to material far beyond their usual experience is a real possibility, which could cause a severely damaging impact on their mental health if faced with particularly distressing and traumatising cases.

'We will be closely monitoring the scheme's results and are committed to working with the Ministry of Justice as it develops. We are hopeful this will result in proper psychological support for jurors being available during and after trials. This will ultimately mean a better experience for everyone within the criminal justice system.'