The Efficacy and Importance of the Seventh Amendment

The Efficacy and Importance of the Seventh Amendment

The Seventh Amendment in the US Constitution guarantees people a right to trial by a jury in federal court cases. A right to be heard by a jury is akin to having one’s case tried by more than one judge. Besides, the constitutional amendment gives parties to a case the chance to connect with their fellow citizens through a court process. By including a jury in a case, the amendment acts as a buffer between the people and the government, such that an individual in a case can be protected against arbitrary and official power. Ultimately, parties to a case are assured of protection against political corruption, which could potentially impact the court outcome. A civil jury is a good safeguard of liberty and a perfect way to hold the government accountable to constitutional principles.

According to Sward (2003), a right to trial by jury restricts appellate courts from reviewing the factual findings made by a jury. Although an appeal challenging a court decision may be filed, the appeal should not challenge factual findings by the jury. This requirement was designed to ensure higher courts are not abused to rubbish decisions made by lower courts as long as they are founded on legitimate grounds. One may only challenge findings made under a jury trial if an obvious error influenced the court ruling. Nonetheless, appellate courts are at liberty to challenge legal findings made by a lower court. The Seventh Amendment ensures that court decisions are not influenced by corruption by safeguarding against re-examining the factual findings made by a jury.

Furthermore, the Seventh Amendment promotes equity and fairness in federal civil trials. The constitutional principle calls for the constitution of a neutral jury that has no conflict of interest in the case (Sward, 2003). The jury’s role is to consider facts in the case and give insights about community standards that guide judges toward making fair decisions. The situation could be different if one judge hears a case as they are humans and may be biased in some cases (Sward, 2003). For instance, a lady justice hearing a rape case against a male offender may be understandably biased and ignore some key facts, leading to wrongful sentencing. That is where the jury comes in because they constitute both genders, which will bolster objectivity while hearing a case. Also, the principle of checks and balances espoused by a jury is relevant to maintaining fairness and equity. The Seventh Amendment empowers the community, through the jury, to ensure that judges correctly interpret legal standards and apply accurate facts before making a decision.

Another importance of the Seventh Amendment in civil suits is that it encourages court professionals to adopt community standards while making court decisions. The jury comprises diverse citizens coming from different walks of life to ensure that different community standards are represented (Sward, 2003). The US is a diverse country whose community standards may affect the court process and decision. For instance, Muslims’ and Christians’ customs may significantly affect justice delivery because the two religious affiliations have varying customs. Normally, an Islamic woman with Arab roots may interpret a tap on the shoulder as a form of sexual harassment and raise a complaint. However, a Caucasian jury member will offer community insights by indicating that a tap on a shoulder does not amount to sexual harassment since it is normal in the community. In other words, individuals in a case are judged on the parameters of varying community insights, helping judges make decisions that do not discriminate against a specific community.

Besides, juries are crucial in giving the people’s voice to civil and criminal justice systems. If an individual is accused of a crime, they have the right to ask their fellow citizens to judge their guilt or innocence based on the facts of the case through a jury process (Miller, 2013). The citizens consider the case facts against community expectations and standards and determine a verdict based on the law (Miller, 2013). That means the Seventh Amendment took away powers from justices and lawyers to make every court decision and contribute to the body of law and justice delivery. Judges and lawyers are not people’s representatives, and leaving them to make every decision would amount to misrepresentation. Just like the people elect Congress members to represent their interests in government, juries serve a similar purpose in justice delivery. Besides, decisions made at this level become part of the law through precedence; hence, the people’s voice must be part of the law formation process since it affects them most.

The Seventh Amendment also contributes to peaceful conflict resolution by encouraging alternative conflict resolution mechanisms besides a costly and lengthy court process. Notably, every citizen may encounter a conflict that is not by design. For instance, divorces, employment conflicts, and workplace injuries are common, and no one is to blame when such happen. Parties to such conflicts can pursue lengthy and costly court processes through traditional resolution mechanisms or settle for peaceful resolutions. A jury acts as a neutral third party, where each party will appeal their case for a peaceful resolution instead of waiting for a lengthy and unpredictable court verdict. This mechanism saves the court’s time and contributes to peaceful conflict resolution, meaning even the relationships between parties will continue after a ruling.

The Seventh Amendment has emboldened me to pursue justice against any party. It is tempting to get scared, especially when facing big entities such as corporations and government agencies because they have a significant financial muscle. However, jurors consider more than legal technicalities and empathize with individuals, leading to a favorable ruling. In other words, juries introduce the human element to justice delivery, allowing a heart-to-heart connection between the jury and parties in a case. To that end, jurors will protect the interests of individuals from being violated by more powerful entities.

Conclusion

In summary, the Seventh Amendment to the US Constitution guarantees people the right to be heard by a jury in federal civil cases. The composition of a jury protects lower courts since a jury’s factual findings may not be challenged by appellate courts. Besides, the amendment facilitates fairness and equity since the jurors who hear a case offer diverse perspectives to enrich a ruling. Also, jurors offer insights into community standards to help judges make informed rulings sensitive to the community parties hail from. Additionally, the jury system adds people’s voices to the civil and criminal justice systems since jurors represent citizens. With the exercise of the jury system, citizens are emboldened to challenge powerful entities and government agencies, aware that the jury will empathize with them.

References

Miller, D. A. (2013). Text, history, and tradition: What the Seventh Amendment can teach us about the Second. The Yale Law Journal, 122(4), 852. https://ssrn.com/abstract=2017288

Sward, E. E. (2003). The Seventh Amendment and the alchemy of fact and law. Seton Hall Law Review, 33, 573. https://ssrn.com/abstract=2238720

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

Efficacy and Importance of the Seventh Amendment

Write an essay of no fewer than 800 words about your opinion on the importance and efficacy of the 7th Amendment and how it affects your life. Consideration of the entirety of the Amendment (rather than the well-known nutshell explanation of the right to trial by jury) is encouraged.