The Rise of the Jury in Argentina Evolution in Real Time

This chapter examines the rise of the Argentine jury. Although promised in the 1853 National Constitution, the jury did not come to Argentina until the provinces took the lead in the twenty-first century. Responding to public distrust in the legal system, scholars and reformers saw the jury as a way to bring transparency, efficiency, and democratization to a judicial system rooted in the inquisitorial tradition. The chapter looks at the various choices each province has made in designing its jury trials and the distinctive features of equal gender representation and an indigenous jury introduced in Argentina. Although the reformers who advocated juries faced opposition, they overcame resistance, and appellate courts have rejected challenges to the new jury systems. Moreover, early research reveals positive reactions from the jurors, judges, and attorneys who have participated in jury trials in Neuquén and the province of Buenos Aires, and new provinces have been joining the move to implement jury systems. Other countries in Latin America have expressed interest in Argentina’s jury activities. Further developments will bear watching.