A weakened jury system is a gift to the far right

At a time when trust in institutions is collapsing, juries remain one of the few places where civic duty still lives.

The Justice Secretary confirmed plans to shrink the scope of trial by jury. Pic: PES Congress/Flickr

For most of us, civic duty is an increasingly foreign proposition.

We may vote every few years, fill in a census form, perhaps sign a petition about road closures in our neighbourhood. These exercises can feel abstract and distant, and our contribution to…