# Why can U.S. jurors talk and U.K. jurors cannot?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-u-s-jurors-talk-and-u-k-jurors-cannot/412322
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 18, 2007, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-u-s-jurors-talk-and-u-k-jurors-cannot/412322 "2007-07-18T23:29:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2007, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-u-s-jurors-talk-and-u-k-jurors-cannot/412322/1 "2007-07-18T23:29:12Z")
In the U.S. jurors are allowed to talk openly about the trials in which they’ve participated. In the U.K., jurors are bound to secrecy.
Given the common history of the legal systems, why the difference?
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### Author:  [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-u-s-jurors-talk-and-u-k-jurors-cannot/412322/2 "2007-07-18T23:56:35Z")
WAG–the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
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### Author:  [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2007, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-u-s-jurors-talk-and-u-k-jurors-cannot/412322/3 "2007-07-19T00:49:46Z")
I think the US also allows a lot more discussion of the case before it starts.
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### Author:  [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2007, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-u-s-jurors-talk-and-u-k-jurors-cannot/412322/4 "2007-07-19T02:33:57Z")
[QUOTE=robby]
WAG–the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
[/QUOTE]
Except that you’re not allowed to speak during a trial (at night to your spouse or friends, say), and for some things–Grand Jury, say–you’re not allowed to speak after the fact, either.
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2007, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-u-s-jurors-talk-and-u-k-jurors-cannot/412322/5 "2007-07-19T13:37:53Z")
England doesn’t have grand juries anymore, though.
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### Author:  [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2007, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-u-s-jurors-talk-and-u-k-jurors-cannot/412322/6 "2007-07-19T14:13:20Z")
[QUOTE=toadspittle]
Except that you’re not allowed to speak during a trial (at night to your spouse or friends, say), and for some things–Grand Jury, say–you’re not allowed to speak after the fact, either.
[/QUOTE]
Presumably the right of the accused to a jury trial is weighed against the right of the individual jurors to speak and the temporary restriction on the (petit) juror’s speech rights during the course of the trial is seen as a reasonable trade-off to protect the rights of the accused.
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### Author:  [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-u-s-jurors-talk-and-u-k-jurors-cannot/412322/7 "2007-07-19T14:47:38Z")
When did American jurors get the “right” to speak out after a trial? A quick trawl through Google suggests that until a few years ago the rules in the States and the UK (and across the Comonwealth) were the same - what went on in the Jury Room had to remain secret. In the UK this Common Law principle was reinforced when violating this secrecy became a contempt of court while at some point it became accepted in the US that jurors could speak to the press - although not after a Grand Jury.
Did this just happen or was there some new law or case that decided this?
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### Author:  [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2007, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-u-s-jurors-talk-and-u-k-jurors-cannot/412322/8 "2007-07-19T22:49:14Z")
For what it’s worth you don’t need to talk about countries on opposite sides of the “pond”. Canadian jurors aren’t allowed to talk about the trial afterwards either.
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### Author:  [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2007, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-u-s-jurors-talk-and-u-k-jurors-cannot/412322/9 "2007-07-19T23:01:55Z")
It is not totally unknown for Uk jurors to speak out after a trial but very rare
> **[Ricin jurors attack new terror laws](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/oct/09/terrorism.politics)**
>
> 'Knee-jerk reaction' under fire on BBC programme.
I dont think they are allowed to talk about what happens during the deliberations, however in the above case they were speaking about the authorities bringing new laws and rearresting people they had acquitted
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### Author:  [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-u-s-jurors-talk-and-u-k-jurors-cannot/412322/10 "2007-07-19T23:25:27Z")
It’s because the Brits traditionally have a zipped upper lip.
😃