Legal Definitions - special instruction

A special instruction is a direction or guideline that a judge gives to a jury about the law of the case. It helps the jury understand the legal issues involved in the case and make a fair decision. Special instructions are usually given in response to a request from one of the lawyers in the case.

• Jury instruction: The judge tells the jury that the defendant is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
• Additional instruction: The judge gives the jury more information about a specific piece of evidence that they asked about.
• Mandatory instruction: The judge tells the jury that if they find a certain set of facts to be true, they must find in favor of one party and against the other.

These examples illustrate how special instructions can help the jury understand the law and make a fair decision. The jury instruction reminds the jury of the defendant's presumption of innocence. The additional instruction helps the jury understand a specific piece of evidence. The mandatory instruction tells the jury how to decide the case based on certain facts.