Trust in the jury system: a comparison of Australian and U.S. samples

Public trust in the criminal justice system, including the jury system, is important for maintaining a democracy that is fair for all citizens. However, there is little research on trust in the jury system generally and even less cross-country comparison research specifically. Trust in the jury system might relate to other legal attitude measures (e.g., authoritarianism). This study identified the degree to which trust in the jury system relates to legal attitudes and compared perceptions of trust between the U.S. and Australia. Community members completed a survey that included measures of trust in the jury system and legal attitudes. The U.S. sample had higher levels of trust in juries than the Australian sample. In both samples, just world beliefs and legal authoritarianism were positively related to trust. Results have both theoretical and practical implications regarding legal attitudes, trust in the jury system, and public opinions of juries in each country.