ABSTRACT This article explores how the mid-19th-century jury saw itself as dominating the Maitland Circuit Court in New South Wales: it interrupted judges in their summing up, questioned witnesses and decided on cases despite legal argument. In doing so, the jury formed part of a ritualised political culture of early democracy where formality combined with outspoken independence. Jury behaviour was not checked by judges or commented on as being unusual or unexpected, suggesting that such behaviour was pervasive elsewhere. The Maitland jury therefore invites us to contemplate both the production of crime and criminality during this period and the importance of political culture in the workings of the law.

中文翻译：

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1840 年至 1870 年新南威尔士殖民地的陪审团审判：最高法院梅特兰巡回法庭

摘要 本文探讨了 19 世纪中叶的陪审团如何将自己视为主导新南威尔士州梅特兰巡回法院：它打断法官的总结、询问证人并在不顾法律争论的情况下对案件作出裁决。在这样做时，陪审团形成了早期民主的仪式化政治文化的一部分，在这种文化中，形式与直言不讳的独立性相结合。陪审团的行为没有被法官检查或评论为不寻常或出乎意料，这表明这种行为在其他地方普遍存在。因此，梅特兰陪审团邀请我们思考这一时期犯罪和犯罪活动的产生以及政治文化在法律运作中的重要性。