Citizens' Juries, Citizens' Panels and Citizens' Assemblies

Distinctions between Citizens' Juries, Panels and Assemblies

Citizen’s Juries, Panels and Assemblies are all methods of public participation designed to involve everyday people in decision-making, but they differ in structure, purpose and scale. Here is a breakdown of their key differences, followed by information on each method.

Feature Citizens' Jury Citizens' Panel Citizens' Assembly
Size Small (12-25) Medium (20-100) Large (50-200)
Purpose In-depth decision on a specific issue Ongoing feedback on various topics Addressing major, complex issues
Duration Short-term (days or weeks) Long-term (regular input) Medium to long-term (weeks/months)
Formality Highly formal deliberation Less formal, flexible input Formal and structured deliberation
Impact Focused recommendations General advice Significant policy recommendations

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