Terror in the Justice System: Effects of Defendant Race and Religion on Juror Decision-Making in a Criminal Trial

Abstract

New Canadian anti-terror legislation was passed in 2015, expanding the scope of criminal offences to include advocating or promoting terrorism offences in general. This study explored juror perceptions of the applicability of this law by having participants read a trial transcript involving this charge in which the defendant's race (Black/White/Arab) and religion (Christian/Muslim/undisclosed) were manipulated. Participants provided a guilty/not guilty verdict, then answered a brief questionnaire on attributions of the defendant's actions and stereotypes held by the Canadian public. Results demonstrated that two attribution measures, defendant stability and defendant responsibility, were related to verdict outcome. Of note, at