Citizens' juries consist of a small panel of non-specialists, modelled to resemble a criminal jury, who carefully examine an issue of public significance and deliver a "verdict".A Citizens' Jury is an independent forum for members of the public to examine and discuss an important issue of public policy. It is deliberative in the sense that the Jury receives information about the issues in question. This information includes a full range of opinions, often in the form of worked up options, on what should be done about the issue. Much of this information is presented through witness presentations followed by question and answer sessions. Juries are not designed to create a consensus amongst the jurors, but there does tend to be a momentum towards consensus. In a four-day process, day one is largely about bringing jurors up to speed on the issue. Days two and three tend to focus on witness presentations about different ways of dealing with the issue. Most of the fourth day is spent by the Jury developing its recommendations.
Source
People & Participation Involve (2005)
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