Judge Without Jury

What would become of the criminal trial if we removed the jury from its midst? This is precisely what occurred in Northern Ireland in 1973, after a Commission chaired by Lord Diplock had recommended that cases connected with the `troubles' should be tried by judge alone. The Diplock Courts have been a controversial feature of Northern Ireland's response to political violence, but there has been little analysis of how the withdrawal of the jury has affected the administration of criminal justice. In this original and scholarly study, the authors assess the impact of Diplock Courts and consider the broader implications of the withdrawal of jury for the administration of criminal justice.