Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

The Law Reform Commission has included a review of the law on juries in its "Third Programme of Law Reform 2008-2014". The Government will, of course, be considering in due course the recommendations made by the commission, including those relating to the composition of juries. Part 6 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2008 has already made a number of amendments to the Juries Act 1976 which affect the composition of juries. The most important change was the abolition of the upper age limit of 70 years for eligibility to serve on a jury. A person called for jury service remains entitled to be excused from service where he or she is over the age of 65 years.

Another important change is contained in the First Schedule to the Juries Act. The category of "incapable person" defined as being "a person who because of insufficient capacity to read, deafness or other permanent infirmity is unfit to serve on a jury" has been replaced by a category of "other persons" defined in more disability-friendly terms.

Section 55 amends section 11 of the Juries Act. The effect of this amendment is to provide an option exercisable by a county registrar to form panels for the Central Criminal Court and Circuit Court separately or to form one panel for both courts. This will facilitate the operation of the new Criminal Courts of Justice which will have a single jury assembly area and should also facilitate sittings of the Central Criminal Court which now sits regularly outside of Dublin. An amendment to section 12 which allows a person selected as a juror to be called to a place or reception area other than a court will also facilitate the operation of the new complex beside Heuston Station. Sections 60 to 63 of the Act amend sections 34 to 37 of the Juries Act by increasing tenfold the amount which may be levied by way of a fine for offences under the Juries Act.

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