Legal Definitions - nominating and reducing

Nominating and reducing was a historical method primarily used in London to select a specialized jury panel, particularly for complex or high-profile legal cases. This process involved an initial broad selection of potential jurors, followed by a structured reduction of that pool by the parties involved in the legal dispute.

Under this method, an initial list of 48 potential jurors was compiled (the "nomination"). Then, each party in the case (e.g., the prosecution and the defense, or the plaintiff and the defendant) was allowed to "strike" or remove 12 individuals from this list. The remaining 24 individuals then formed the final jury panel.

To understand the concept of nominating and reducing, consider these analogous scenarios:

• Selecting a Panel of Experts for a Public Inquiry: Imagine a government agency tasked with forming an impartial panel of experts for a major public inquiry into a complex environmental issue. The agency first compiles a comprehensive list of 48 highly qualified professionals from various scientific and policy fields, representing the initial "nomination." Subsequently, two primary advocacy groups, one representing environmental conservationists and the other representing industrial development, are each given the opportunity to "reduce" this list by striking 12 individuals whom they perceive as having potential biases or conflicts of interest. The remaining 24 experts then constitute the final, agreed-upon panel for the inquiry.

  This illustratesnominating and reducing because an initial large pool of potential candidates (48 experts) is first identified, and then systematically narrowed down by the involved parties (the two advocacy groups each striking 12) to arrive at a smaller, mutually acceptable final group (24 experts).

• Choosing a Design Team for a Major Architectural Project: Consider a city council that needs to select a lead architectural firm for a landmark urban development project. To ensure fairness and broad acceptance, the council's procurement department initially identifies 48 reputable architectural firms known for their expertise in large-scale projects, thereby "nominating" them. Two major stakeholder groups—one representing historical preservation societies and another representing modern urban developers—are then each allowed to "reduce" this list by removing 12 firms whose design philosophies or past projects they find unsuitable for their vision. The remaining 24 firms are then invited to submit detailed proposals for the project.

  This demonstratesnominating and reducing by showing how an initial broad selection of candidates (48 architectural firms) is systematically refined through a process where different interested parties (the two stakeholder groups) each exercise their right to remove a set number of options, resulting in a smaller, more focused pool (24 firms) for the next stage of selection.

• Selecting Candidates for a Prestigious Scholarship Program: A university is establishing a new, highly competitive interdisciplinary scholarship program and needs to select a final cohort of candidates for interviews. The admissions committee first identifies 48 exceptional students who meet the stringent academic and extracurricular criteria, thereby "nominating" them. To ensure a balanced perspective, two separate faculty review boards—one representing the sciences and another representing the humanities—are each given the chance to "reduce" the list by striking 12 candidates whom they believe are less aligned with the specific interdisciplinary goals of the scholarship. The remaining 24 students then proceed to the final interview stage.

  This example highlightsnominating and reducing as it involves an initial identification of a larger pool of qualified individuals (48 students), followed by a structured process where distinct parties (the two faculty review boards) each remove a specific number of candidates, leading to a refined and smaller group (24 students) for the ultimate decision.