Jury Trials vs. Judge-Only Trials in Australia

In Australia, the main difference between a jury trial and a judge-only trial is who decides

the outcome. In a jury trial, a group of ordinary citizens listens to the evidence

and decides whether the accused is guilty or not guilty. The judge makes sure the trial follows

the law and gives instructions to the jury but does not decide the verdict. In a judge-only

trial, there is no jury — the judge listens to all the evidence and decides both

the facts and the final decision. Judge-only trials are usually used for complex or high-profile

cases. Overall, jury trials involve community participation, while judge-only

trials rely only on the judge’s legal knowledge.