It is a judicial process where a group of ordinary people are called by law to decide legal cases brought to trial. `It is a form of sovereignty of the people.  It makes the legal spirit penetrate right down into the lowest ranks of society.  Furthermore, it is the most effective way of establishing the people's rule and the most efficient way of teaching them how to rule.' 

They are citizens who are randomly selected from the electoral register to participate in deciding civil or criminal cases. They do not have to be professionals.  The sitting jurors should be educated enough to be able to process simple facts.  With guidance from the judge, cases are turned entirely on simple facts easily within the range of common sense.

 

In cases of serious crimes, the jury is normally composed of 12 individuals. Other juries maybe composed of less than 12 Jurors depending on the requirements of the government.  A unanimous decision is first sought.  If this could not be reached, a majority decision e.g.,10:2 will be advised by the judge.

Jury service is a citizen's duty to his country. 

The United States of America (USA), England, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and at least 46 other democratic countries and dependencies around the globe have adopted jury systems. Even Russia, a communist country, has also adopted a jury system.

The USA has always had a Jury System.  After the Spanish-American War the USA took Puerto Rico and the Philippines from Spain.  In both conquered countries the US Constitution was then imported and used.  There was, however, a small difference in what was not imported.

Because in the Philippines there was an uprising against the USA that lasted for several years, so the Americans naturally felt that importing a Jury System would not be in their own interests.

And so it has remained until now.