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How did the jury survive from Anglo-Saxon law into the common-law system?

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King Henry II and St. Thomas Becket — Common law Henry II (left) disputing with Thomas Becket (center), miniature from a 14th-century manuscript; in the British Library (Cotton MS. Claudius D.ii).

The survival and evolution of the jury from the Anglo-Saxon period into the common law system is a subject of historical debate, with scholars questioning whether the institution was indigenous to England or introduced by the Normans in 1066.123

Initially, jurors functioned as neighborhood witnesses who provided judgments based on their personal knowledge of the facts. Under the Normans, the use of juries became more frequent as royal officials summoned them to provide collective verdicts under oath. This practice helped centralize the country’s courts under the king, which was a foundational step in creating the common-law system.12

The jury system eventually replaced nonrational modes of trial, such as ordeal, which were common in the early Middle Ages. By the 15th century, the jury trial had become the established method for deciding both criminal and civil cases. As society grew more complex, the role of the jury shifted from that of witnesses to impartial triers of fact who determine cases based on evidence presented in court.145