The nineteenth century in Europe was marked by liberal movements, and one of the most prominent requests was the one pertaining to the freedom of press. One other request was the introduction of the jury system in trial, since the executive government influenced the judges through various channels, and the guarantees of judges` independence were not sufficiently ensured. Freedom of press was practically only protected through the jury system, which was limited to press-related torts. This graduation thesis analyses the development of jury system in Croatia and Slavonia with a review of the surrounding European environment. By observing the legal framework from 1848 to 1918, the paper examines the position of lay judges, requirements for the performance of jury duty, restrictions to judges` independence, position of the press, and political and historical background. Press-related torts were most frequently politically motivated, and the jury symbolised and represented the means for the impartial and objective adjudication in a dispute. In Croatia, the requests for the freedom of press were made in 1848. This is a period of poor connectedness of the cities, low number of literate people, and political press was the only way for the political parties to affect their voters. Due to a high bail, the newspapers depended on their market success and financial funding of individuals, hence any unfavourable result would lead to their cancellation.