The Tortured Life and Mysterious Death of Trial by Jury in India

Although the origins of its history are as old as Britain’s colonial rule itself, trial by jury for Indians was first introduced in 1861. British and Indian lawyers, judges and administrators had to deal with the prejudices and biases that were inherent to the racial, religious, caste and class composition of juries. They also questioned the transference of British ‘rights’ to Indian subjects. This paper discusses the long and troubled history of the jury trial in India between 1860-1960.