Just Spaces: Does Courtroom Design Affect How the Defendant Is Perceived?

Abstract

A variety of factors beyond the evidence itself have been shown to influence jurors’ perceptions. One potentially biasing factor that has not received much attention is the design of the courtroom. This exploratory study examined the effect of courtroom design, and more specifically where the defendant was positioned (in an open dock, in an open dock guarded by a correctional officer, in a dock surrounded by glass, or at the bar table) on mock jurors’ perceptions of the defendant. The participants (n = 258) described the defendant in more negative terms when the defendant was portrayed in either an open dock, glass dock, or in the presence of a correctional officer compared to when the defendant was portrayed as sitting at the bar table with the defence counsel.

Key words:

• courtroom design
• dock design
• jury decision-making
• juror bias

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Australian Research Council [LP120200288]. We also acknowledge the contribution of our industry partners: the NSW Department of Justice, the Western Australia Department of the Attorney General, Diane Jones from PTW Architects, Mariano DeDuonni from Hassell Architects, Paul Katsieris from Katsieris Origami, Graham Turnbull SC from Forbes Chambers, and ICE Design.