Jury Management, 25-26 February 2026

Juries are a vital piece of the picture that gives the Australian judiciary its legitimacy. It is this legitimacy that gives courts the social licence to prosecute crime and authorise punishment. Judges are required to grasp and exercise intricate court-craft and communication skills to optimise the exercise of the judicial function during a jury trial.

The judicial learning outcomes of this intensive, two-day program are for participants to explore the skills and judicial techniques connected with managing a jury. Delivered by a program committee of highly experienced trial judges, each session explores the adoption of best practice tools, performance measures, processes and practices to address the challenges and complex issue of managing juries.

The program is designed for trial judges with less than five years’ experience, however, all sessions allow for judicial learner differentiation.

The program provides:

• an understanding of the juror’s perspective through the application of cognitive authentic empathy measures;
  
• facilitation by judges in jury management with strategies for keeping the trial on track; and
  
• practical sessions, led by experienced judges and communicators, on how to manage challenges that could potentially arise at all stages of a trial.

This program focusses on judge-craft skills. Topics include:

• the juror’s journey
  
• jury trials- what’s the point?
  
• lost in translation
  
• getting to the issues.

With an experienced committee from across Australian jurisdictions, the program encourages cross-jurisdictional discussions between facilitators and participants about best-practice, particularly with respect to management, jury directions and juror misconduct.

A jury plays an important role in criminal justice procedures and provides legitimacy for the legal system. Serving on a jury is the most direct and impactful way for Australian citizens to participate in the process of governing. Understanding the interaction of these two processes, is essential for the exploration of cognitive empathy practices and corresponding court craft.

This is a non-residential program; flights and accommodation are not included in the registration fee.

Meet your Program Planning Committee