How much does a citizens’ jury cost?

A Citizens' Jury is a group of around 12 to 30 people from all walks of life, brought together to have an honest conversation and find common ground on an issue that matters. Those involved reflect the wider population in terms of demographics, geography and relevant attitudes. 

Citizens’ Juries are taken through an extended deliberation and highly focused discussion aiming for a highly specified outcome delivered through a verdict. They are particularly effective on value-laden and controversial questions, where knowledge is contested and there might be important ethical and social repercussions. The process generally takes between two and seven days. They are relatively inexpensive compared to a Citizens’ Assembly and their small size allows for effective deliberation with sufficient diversity to include a wide range of perspectives. Because of the small number of participants, they do not allow for much stratification of the sample or get close to being representative. 

A recent example of a Citizens’ Jury is the Citizens’ Jury on car dependency in Belfast which brought together 19  residents of the Belfast metropolitan area to answer the important question How can car dependency and levels of car use in Belfast be reduced? Another great example of an impactful Jury is the Jersey Assisted Dying Citizens’ Jury, where 23 Jersey residents were tasked with answering the question Should assisted dying be permitted in Jersey, and if so, under what circumstances? following an e-petition calling for the States Assembly to amend Jersey law to allow for assisted dying.

So, how much does a citizens' jury cost?

A Citizens' Jury will cost between £60,000 - £200,000 dependent on the number of participants and deliberation sessions.