voir dire

/vwahr" dear"/; Fr. /vwannrdd deerdd"/, Law.

1. an oath administered to a proposed witness or juror by which he or she is sworn to speak the truth in an examination to ascertain his or her competence.

2. the examination itself.

[1670-80; < AF, equiv. to OF voir true, truly + dire to say]

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(Anglo-French; "to speak the truth")

In law, the act or process of questioning prospective jurors to determine whether they are qualified and suitable for service on a jury.

The questioning attorneys may dismiss a juror for cause, such as when bias or preconceived notions of guilt or innocence are in evidence; they also have a limited number of peremptory challenges that they can use to dismiss a juror for any or no reason.

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▪ law

      in law, process of questioning by which members of a jury are selected from a large panel, or venire, of prospective jurors. The veniremen are questioned by the judge or by the attorneys for the respective parties. The voir dire attempts to detect bias or preconceived notions of guilt or innocence on the part of the veniremen. The parties, including the prosecution in a criminal case, may challenge potential jurors and dismiss an unlimited number for cause. They also have a limited number of peremptory challenges, which enable them to dismiss a juror without giving a reason.

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