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A Jury of Her Peers: The Impact of the First Female Jurors on Criminal Convictions

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  • Anwar, Shamena
  • Bayer, Patrick
  • Hjalmarsson, Randi

Abstract

This paper uses an original data set of more than 3000 cases from 1918 to 1926 in the Central Criminal Courts of London to study the effect of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act of 1919. Implemented in 1921, this Act made females eligible to serve on English juries, providing a novel setting for studying the impact of female representation on jury verdicts. Results based on a pre-post research design imply that the inclusion of females had little effect on overall conviction rates but resulted in a large and significant increase in convictions for sex offenses and on the conviction rate differential between violent crime cases with female versus male victims. The inclusion of women also increased the likelihood of juries being discharged without reaching a verdict on all charges and the average time taken to reach a verdict. A complementary analysis of cases in which the jury was carried over from a previous trial also implies that the inclusion of female jurors on the seated jury sharply increased conviction rates for violent crimes against women versus men.

Suggested Citation

  • Anwar, Shamena & Bayer, Patrick & Hjalmarsson, Randi, 2016. "A Jury of Her Peers: The Impact of the First Female Jurors on Criminal Convictions," CEPR Discussion Papers 11116, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:11116
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Craig Volden & Alan E. Wiseman & Dana E. Wittmer, 2013. "When Are Women More Effective Lawmakers Than Men?," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 57(2), pages 326-341, April.
    2. Shamena Anwar & Patrick Bayer & Randi Hjalmarsson, 2019. "Politics in the Courtroom: Political Ideology and Jury Decision Making," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 17(3), pages 834-875.
    3. Shamena Anwar & Patrick Bayer & Randi Hjalmarsson, 2014. "The Role of Age in Jury Selection and Trial Outcomes," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 57(4), pages 1001-1030.
    4. Sarah F. Anzia & Christopher R. Berry, 2011. "The Jackie (and Jill) Robinson Effect: Why Do Congresswomen Outperform Congressmen?," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(3), pages 478-493, July.
    5. Patrick Bayer & Randi Hjalmarsson & Shamena Anwar, 2010. "Jury Discrimination in Criminal Trials," Working Papers 10-57, Duke University, Department of Economics.
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    Cited by:

    1. Bindler, Anna & Hjalmarsson, Randi, 2016. "The Fall of Capital Punishment and the Rise of Prisons: How Punishment Severity Affects Jury Verdicts," Working Papers in Economics 674, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • K14 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Criminal Law
    • K40 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - General
    • N00 - Economic History - - General - - - General

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