Our judicial and trial systems have been designed over the last 250 years to fairly and equitably adjudicate disputes between parties to a disagreement, to eliminate surprise at the time of trial, to ensure a public record of the airing of grievances and provide an avenue of appeal if mistakes are made. Trial by jury is enshrined in our justice system and the laws of our country from the U.S. Bill of Rights, in the Sixth and Seventh Amendments, to Article One, Section 9 of the New Jersey State Constitution; nonetheless, our judicial system is constantly under scrutiny and in the process of improvement through the development of the common law, rules and legislation.