▁A ▁Short ened ▁History ▁of ▁England ▁( 1 9 5 8 ), ▁during ▁the ▁Vik ing ▁occupation : ▁ ▁The ▁English ▁king ▁ Æ th el red ▁the ▁Un ready ▁issued ▁a ▁legal ▁code ▁at ▁W antage , ▁which ▁states ▁that ▁the ▁twelve ▁leading ▁the g ns ▁( min or ▁nobles ) ▁of ▁each ▁w ap ent ake ▁( a ▁small ▁district ) ▁were ▁required ▁to ▁swe ar ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁investigate ▁cr imes ▁without ▁bias . ▁These ▁' j uries ' ▁differ ed ▁from ▁the ▁present - day ▁kind ▁by ▁being ▁self - in form ing ; ▁instead ▁of ▁getting ▁information ▁through ▁a ▁trial , ▁the ▁jur ors ▁were ▁required ▁to ▁investigate ▁the ▁case ▁themselves . ▁ ▁Later ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century , ▁Henry ▁II ▁took ▁a ▁major ▁step ▁in ▁developing ▁the ▁j ury ▁system . ▁Henry ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁system ▁to ▁resolve ▁land ▁disput es ▁using ▁jur ies . ▁A ▁j ury ▁of ▁twelve ▁free ▁men ▁were ▁assigned ▁to ▁arbitr ate ▁in ▁these ▁disput es . ▁ ▁Un like ▁the ▁modern ▁j ury , ▁these ▁men ▁were ▁charged ▁with ▁un cover ing ▁the ▁facts ▁of ▁the ▁case ▁on ▁their ▁own ▁rather ▁than ▁listening ▁to ▁arguments ▁in ▁court . ▁Henry ▁also ▁introduced ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" grand ▁j ury ", ▁through ▁his ▁Grand ▁Ass ize . ▁Under ▁the ▁ass ize , ▁a ▁j ury ▁of ▁free ▁men ▁was ▁charged ▁with ▁reporting ▁any ▁cr imes ▁that ▁they ▁knew ▁of ▁in ▁their ▁hundred ▁to ▁a