<P> Being a Common Law jurisdiction, Gibraltar retains jury trial in a similar manner to that found in England and Wales, the exception being that juries consist of nine lay people, rather than twelve . </P> <P> Hong Kong, as a former British colony has a common law legal system . Article 86 of Hong Kong's Basic Law, which came into force on 1 July 1997 following the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China provides: "The principle of trial by jury previously practised in Hong Kong shall be maintained ." </P> <P> Criminal trials in the High Court are by jury . The juries are generally made of seven members, who can return a verdict based on a majority of five . </P> <P> There are no jury trials in the District Court, which can impose a sentence of up to seven years imprisonment . This is despite the fact that all court rooms in the District Court have jury boxes . The lack of juries in the District Court has been severely criticized . Clive Grossman SC in a commentary in 2009 said conviction rates were "approaching those of North Korea". </P>

Where did the idea of a jury system come from