Female jurors are ‘the harshest critics’

THE country’s leading criminal judge yesterday said female jurors were, in his experience, the “harshest critics” of female complainants in trials.

Mr Justice Paul Carney said he agreed with the finding in the Rape & Justice in Ireland report that gender quotas on rape juries (in favour of women) would not result in more convictions, and, if anything, would lead to more acquittals.

The report found that not a single guilty verdict was returned by female dominated juries in rape cases between 2000 and 2005.

The report said there were a total of 18 female dominated juries in rape cases, 13 of which returned a not guilty verdict and five were hung juries.

“Going by facial expression it has always seemed to me that female members of the jury are the complainants harshest critics,” said Mr Justice Carney.

“This is particularly so in relation to drink or going into the cars or flats of strangers. On the basis on my very unscientific observations I think a gender quota would, if anything, increase acquittals.”

He backed recommendations in the report for research to be conducted among juries.

He said delays in trials for rape cases were “much less” than believed to be, but added that an extra judge in the central criminal court would make “an enormous difference”.

Deputy Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan welcomed findings in the report that most complainants found interviewing gardaí to be “warm and sympathetic”. But he noted there were also negative findings, the main one being the lack of ongoing contact from gardaí after a statement was made.

The report said that, overall, 43% of complainants were dissatisfied with the gardaí.

Mr Callinan said that since the report’s time frame (ending 2005), a number of improvements had been made, including a new risk assessment system for sex offenders, specialist interviewers and the training of 250 family liaison officers.