Not all countries hold trials with a jury in it, but having a jury analyze and judge in a certain case has been around for a very long time. It is different from a bench trial because a bench trial consists of a judge or a panel of judges making the decisions, whereas in a jury trial ordinary citizens are called upon and isolated for the duration of the trial to judge the defendant.
The size of a jury for a trial depends on the type of case being heard. A criminal trial requires 12 members depending on the country, and a civil case only requires about half the number required for a criminal trial. There is no particular time when a person can be chosen as a juror, but there are certain qualifications to be considered as part of the jury in a trial, some of which include non-association with the defendant (which is important, as the members of the jury have to be impartial), a fluent understanding of the language being used in the proceedings, and the capability to be impartial (which will be determined in the interview that may be conducted prior to the selection of the jurors). Also, once chosen to be a juror, you are required to attend the hearings unless your circumstances do not allow you to be present – you could be ill, or you might have moved to another district farther from the courthouse at the time you were chosen, or you may have previous engagements that prevent you from being there. In this case, you have the option to ask the court to postpone your jury duty.
When one is chosen as a juror, one cannot access any other source of information to make their research on the case or conduct their own independent investigation, because this endangers their capability to be impartial. Also, they are bound to a vow of secrecy regarding details of their verdict or how they came to their verdict, or else they will be charged in contempt.
Have you done jury duty yet? A final note (and a warning): those who do not attend jury duty will be fined or may be held in contempt of court. So when you get that mail summoning you for jury duty, make sure you’re there and you find ways to make it there.