‘The Jury: Death on the Staircase’: what would you decide?

This groundbreaking series follows a re-enactment of a real manslaughter case, presented word-for-word with actors, before a new jury of 12 everyday Australians.

The Jury: Death on the Staircase.

They are the ordinary people tasked with upholding justice and distinguishing right from wrong, but with only

affirming their trust in the country’s courts, are Australia’s juries really doing their job?

Based on the smash-hit UK format, five-episode SBS original The Jury: Death on the Staircase attempts to find an answer, taking viewers behind the scenes of courtroom proceedings to reveal not only how juries work, but also asking whether they continue to be an effective and essential part of the legal process. Juries have been, by law, largely secret and sacrosanct, with only those called to jury duty ever truly knowing what is involved. Now, for the first time, those who’ve never been on a jury will be afforded the chance to see what it would be like to be summoned for themselves.

The case in question is a re-enactment, and the other characters of the courtroom are actors, but the jury in the series are facing the same challenges as any jury does. The 12 individuals are as diverse as contemporary Australia itself, each bringing to the jury room their own experiences, not to mention entirely disparate views about the justice system. It’s in the initial moments after they meet that the first question about the viability of the jury model arises: can 12 people really be trusted to overcome their own biases and prejudices to objectively assess a case?

As the trial begins, all sense that this is a restaging quickly disappears, and the weight of responsibility felt by the members of the jury is clear. Names, dates and locations have been changed to protect the identities in the original trial, but the events are disturbingly true. The confronting reality of a criminal courtroom is brought to life, and as evidence is detailed, the emotion on many of their faces is a reminder of the challenges that come with being selected for jury service. These are everyday, legally inexperienced citizens who suddenly find themselves exposed to complex and often gruesome scenarios. This prompts a further, yet no less important question: can juries overcome lack of knowledge and their instinctive reactions to effectively analyse the evidence before them?

The jury room is where personalities collide, and theories are brought into the open.

Though the happenings inside the courtroom are integral to the series, it is the conversations that take place outside it, in the jury room, that offer unique insight. The jury room is where personalities collide, and theories are brought into the open. Nominated jury foreperson Guy, a former advertising creative director and Mensa member, has his work cut out for him in keeping the group on course towards a unanimous decision. Along the way, the divide between the quiet deliberators and those who are keen to speculate sees tension and frustration rise. When you get a group that includes a former prison officer, sex therapist, childhood entertainer, financial expert and several creatives together in one room, it’s clear that life experiences and ideas about justice go hand in hand, and not everyone will see eye to eye.

Meet the 12 everyday Australians sitting as jurors in 'The Jury: Death on the Staircase'

For the audience, and indeed for the jury members, the final question that remains is whether this group will reach the same decision as the original jury in the real-world case. If they manage to, it perhaps proves that there is still value in ‘people judging people’ and that, in spite of their differences, ordinary people are able to discern the truth. Or will they come to a different decision?

Whatever your opinion on the role of juries in the Australian justice system, The Jury: Death on the Staircase shows the experience of being a juror in a never-before-seen light. Though it puts the jury model to the test, the series is also fundamentally a reflection on humanity, and the way that our beliefs about ourselves and others can influence the choices we make. Whether you are true crime obsessed, or a courtroom novice, the series will have you hooked as the unique experience of jurors, usually hidden from view, is captured in unmissable detail.

The Jury: Death on the Staircase

airs weekly from Wednesday 6 November at 8.30pm on SBS with each episode then available to stream free on SBS On Demand. The Jury: Death on the Staircase will be subtitled in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.