A special "citizens court" will put genetically modified (GM) foods on trial in Australia next week. Sponsors of the unusual courtroom drama, including the Australian Museum and private groups, hope it will help forge a consensus on how the government should regulate the controversial products.
On 10 March, 14 lay jurors will gather at the Old Parliament House in Canberra to begin questioning a range of experts on eight hotly debated questions, including whether Australia should support international regulation. The jury's verdicts--to be rendered after 3 days of testimony--could help shape government regulations, such as GM food labeling requirements due in May. Observers hope the trial, modeled after a public- input process developed in the Netherlands, will help steer officials to wise decisions. Jurors "can be pretty damned insightful and see through the guff to the heart of the matter," says biologist Richard Jefferson of Cambia, a Canberra-based agricultural research institute.
