27 MARCH 1953, Page 7

What is known as the pottery trial reached its 33rd

day on Monday. How much longer it is likely to continue I have no knowledge; no end appears to be in sight yet. But this is a jury case, and twelve jurymen have so far been withdrawn from their daily work for 33 days. That means 396 man-days lost to date, with plenty more to come. Even a man running a one- man business cannot count on being excused jury-service, and the jury-box is not likely to be filled with the habitually unemployed. The loss to someone in the case of each individual juryman—whether to the man himself or to his employer—is obviously grave. It is hard to see how it can be avoided, and few trials, of course, run to this abnormal length; but in balancing the pros and cons of the jury-system cases like this must be taken into account.