special jury: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2 (Very low frequency)Formal, Technical (Legal)
Quick answer
What does “special jury” mean?
A jury selected for a trial, often in complex or serious cases, using a special procedure or from a specific list of qualified individuals, such as those of higher social standing or professional expertise.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A jury selected for a trial, often in complex or serious cases, using a special procedure or from a specific list of qualified individuals, such as those of higher social standing or professional expertise.
A legal term referring to a type of jury historically composed of individuals with specific qualifications (e.g., property ownership, professional status) or selected for a particular case due to its complexity, sensitivity, or need for specialized knowledge. The concept is now largely historical in common law jurisdictions, having been mostly replaced by standard jury selection procedures.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both jurisdictions historically used special juries, but the practice has been abolished or severely restricted in both. In the UK, they were known as 'juries of matrons' (for pregnancy claims) or 'special juries' of merchants for commercial cases, abolished in 1949. In the US, 'blue-ribbon juries' were sometimes used but faced constitutional challenges regarding fair cross-section representation.
Connotations
Historically associated with elitism, privilege, and expertise. In modern discourse, it can carry negative connotations of being undemocratic or unrepresentative.
Frequency
Extremely rare in contemporary use in both varieties. Used almost exclusively in historical or academic legal contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “special jury” in a Sentence
The court ordered [a special jury].The case was tried before [a special jury] of merchants.[A special jury] was empanelled to hear the complex fraud case.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “special jury” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The judge could specially jury a case of commercial fraud.
adjective
British English
- The special-jury procedure was outlined in the old statutes.
American English
- They faced a special-jury trial under the state's antiquated laws.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used. Historical reference might appear in case studies of old commercial law.
Academic
Used in legal history, jurisprudence, and historical analyses of the justice system.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Core usage is in legal history texts and some surviving statutory references.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “special jury”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “special jury”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “special jury”
- Using it to refer to any important jury in a high-profile case today. Modern high-profile cases use standard juries.
- Confusing it with a 'hung jury' (which cannot reach a verdict).
- Using it as a synonym for a 'grand jury' (which decides on indictments).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the classic 'special jury' based on property or professional qualifications is largely obsolete in common law countries like the UK and US due to reforms promoting jury representativeness.
A grand jury decides whether to indict someone with a crime. A special jury was a type of trial jury (petit jury) that decided guilt or innocence in a specific trial, but was chosen from a special, qualified list.
No. While 'jury' can be used for competition panels (e.g., film festival jury), the term 'special jury' is exclusively a historical legal term. A competition might have a 'special panel' or 'special awards jury', but not a 'special jury' in this technical sense.
They were criticized for being elitist and unrepresentative of society, as they often excluded women, the poor, and minority groups, potentially biasing verdicts towards property-owning classes.
A jury selected for a trial, often in complex or serious cases, using a special procedure or from a specific list of qualified individuals, such as those of higher social standing or professional expertise.
Special jury is usually formal, technical (legal) in register.
Special jury: in British English it is pronounced /ˌspeʃ.əl ˈdʒʊə.ri/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌspeʃ.əl ˈdʒʊr.i/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Blue-ribbon panel (modern, related concept)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think SPECIAL = SPECific + ExpertIAL. A 'special jury' was for SPECIFIC cases needing 'expertIAL' (expert) members, not just random citizens.
Conceptual Metaphor
JUSTICE AS ELITISM / QUALITY CONTROL: The special jury metaphorically frames impartial justice as requiring a 'higher quality' or more 'refined' human filter than the common populace.
Practice
Quiz
In which context might you historically encounter a 'special jury'?