02169cam a22003013u 4500 1201 UtSlPG 20260610133042.0 m cr n 260607r1998||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d UtSlPG en iso639-1 K Spooner, Lysander, 1808-1887 An Essay on the Trial By Jury Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg, 1998 1 online resource : multiple file formats text txt rdacontent computer c rdamedia online resource cr rdacarrier Release date is 1998-02-01 "An Essay on the Trial By Jury" by Lysander Spooner is a legal and philosophical treatise written in the mid-19th century. The work discusses the historical evolution and the fundamental principles of the trial by jury, asserting it as a crucial safeguard against governmental oppression and tyranny. Spooner elaborates on the importance of jurors not only determining the facts of a case but also judging the justice of the laws themselves, emphasizing the jury's power to invalidate unjust laws. The opening of the text establishes Spooner's intentions to argue that trial by jury serves as a bulwark against despotism. He begins by outlining the rights and responsibilities of juries as defined by the Common Law and the Magna Carta, advocating that juries must have the authority to judge the justice of laws. Spooner insists that if a jury is unable to exercise its fundamental right to evaluate whether a law is just or unjust, then the very concept of trial by jury becomes meaningless and merely becomes a tool for governmental oppression. He lays a foundation for a broader discussion that will unfold throughout the essay, critiquing contemporary judicial practices and asserting the necessity for juries to remain independent from government influence. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Original publication data not identified Jury -- United States Jury -- Great Britain https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1201 43317 43317