Terror in the Justice System: Effects of Defendant Race and Religion on Juror Decision-Making in a Criminal Trial

New Canadian anti-terror legislation was passed in 2015, expanding the scope of criminal offences to include advocating or promoting terrorism offences in general. This study explored juror perceptions of the applicability of this law by having participants read a trial transcript involving this charge in which the defendant's race (Black/White/Arab) and religion (Christian/Muslim/undisclosed) were manipulated. Participants provided a verdict, then answered a brief questionnaire on attributions of the defendant's actions and stereotypes held by the Canadian public. I hypothesized that Black/Arab, and Muslim Canadian defendants will be more likely to be perceived as advocating/inciting terrorism offences in general as compared to White or Christian Canadians, and will consequently receive more guilty verdicts. This study will address the current lack of psycho-legal research concerning Canadian minorities, specifically Arab Canadians.