What is the primary responsibility of a jury during a court trial?

The jury system in the UK is a cornerstone of its justice system, dating back centuries. Its main purpose is to ensure a fair trial by having ordinary citizens, rather than government officials, decide on the facts of a case. Think of it as a group of your peers evaluating the evidence. The key thing to remember is that the jury's role is specifically to determine whether the prosecution has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused committed the crime. They listen to all the evidence presented by both sides, and then they deliberate in private to reach a verdict. That verdict is simply a decision of 'guilty' or 'not guilty'. The jury doesn't decide the penalty; that's the judge's job. They also don't give evidence themselves, they evaluate the evidence presented to them.