Citizens, when given the time and opportunity to learn about an issue and discuss it with other citizens, are eminently capable of understanding complicated arguments and making wise, well-reasoned decisions. Citizen jurors bring with them an intrinsic worth in the good sense and wisdom born of their own knowledge and personal experience. The Citizens' Jury provides the opportunity to add to that knowledge and to exchange ideas with their fellow citizens. The result is a collective one, in which each juror has a valuable contribution to make. (Jefferson Center's Citizens' Jury Handbook. Summer 1997.)

The first citizens' jury project, conducted in early October, 1999, involved examination of the management of national parks and reserves in the ACT. The second citizens' jury project, completed in January 2000, was concerned with management options for a coastal road in north Queensland.