Citizens' Jury Method

A citizens' jury is a deliberative method that convenes a small, demographically representative panel of randomly selected citizens to consider a policy question in depth and produce reasoned recommendations. Modelled loosely on the trial jury, it gives ordinary people time, balanced information, expert witnesses and skilled facilitation so they can deliberate and reach a considered judgement on behalf of the wider public. Developed in the United States by Ned Crosby and his Jefferson Center, with a parallel German tradition (the Planungszelle) created by Peter Dienel, it is a leading form of deliberative 'mini-public'.