Frequent Questions
The Jury (FAQs?)
Answers to the above questions:
What is a jury?
A jury is a group of people who sit in a criminal or civil court, hear evidence and make decisions about facts with the guidance on the law from a judge. Jury service is an important part of the trial procedure.
What does a notice of inclusion mean?
Receiving a notice of inclusion means that you are on a list of people from which jurors will be selected over the next 12 months.
This list is randomly selected from the electoral roll for each jury district. Some people will be ineligible to serve jury service, some will be disqualified from service and others have a right of exemption. These categories are listed, below and on the back of a notice of inclusion. If you are ineligible to serve or disqualified you must let the Jury Branch know as soon as possible, you should also send any proof you have of your claim. There may be other categories that, although they fall outside legislated exemptions, may be considered for exemption under special arrangements. These categories may include, but are not limited to, nurses, students and sole traders. If you believe you have a genuine reason that you should not do jury service over a specific time that you are on the roll you should apply in writing when you receive the notice of inclusion.
What does a summons mean?
If you receive a summons you are required to attend court on a particular day. However, you must telephone the “recorded message for jurors” to determine if your attendance is still required or if the date of attendance has been changed. You will not automatically be selected as a juror. This is determined by a process called ‘empanelling’, which occurs on the day.
A summons cannot be ignored. Unless you are granted an excusal you must attend or else you may be fined.
What is empanelling?
Empanelling is the process where a jury is selected for a specific trial from the people who have attended court in response to a summons. There are 12 jurors for a criminal case, 4 for a civil case.
How it works –
When you arrive at court you will be directed to the jury assembly area and you will be given a juror card that displays your identifying number.
Once in the courtroom identifying numbers are called at random by the judge’s associate. If your number is called you proceed to the jury box.
As this process occurs, the Prosecutor or Defence counsel can reject a juror. In a criminal trial each side can reject up to 3 jurors for each accused person. A person is rejected if they hear the word challange. If this happens, the juror returns to where they were sitting at the back of the court with those whose numbers have not been called. If you are challenged, it is important to understand that this is no reflection on your character or ability.
The process continues until the necessary number of jurors are seated in the jury box. Each juror will be asked to take an Oath or an affirmation.
Once this process is complete, those in the jury box are empanelled. The others then leave the courtroom and follow the directions of the Sheriff’s officer. These people may be needed in another court and the process will start again.
What does Jury Service involve?
Time -
After checking the recorded message to determine if you need to attend you should arrive at court at the date and time required. From there you should proceed as directed by a Sheriff’s Officer or Court Officer.
Jury service can involve attending court for the duration of a trial. Exactly how long this will be depends on the trial itself – although an estimation of the trial length may be printed on your summons or given by the presiding judge.
While attending court there is generally a morning tea break at 11.30am and a lunch break from 1-2pm. Court will usually finish between 4 and 4.30pm. You will be told if this timetable will be any different during your time as a juror.
What to Bring –
You should bring your summons when you attend court. You also need to bring an accepted form of identification such as a driver’s licence or passport.
You may want to bring a snack although tea and coffee are usually provided.
It may take a little while for the empanelling process to begin so you might want to bring something to read.
You can bring a mobile phone although it must be turned off when you enter a courtroom. If you have a camera phone you may need to hand it to a Sheriff’s Officer on arrival at the court for safe keeping and you will be able to pick it up when you leave.
What to Wear –
There are no specific dress regulations for a juror, although generally a juror will wear neat, comfortable clothes.
Exemptions from Jury Service
There are some groups who are ineligible or disqualified from jury service. And another group who has a right of exemption.
The following are disqualified from serving on a jury::
- A person who at any time within the last 10 years in New South Wales or elsewhere has served any part of a sentence of imprisonment or penal servitude (not being imprisonment merely for failure to pay a fine).
- A person who at any time within the last 5 years in New South Wales or elsewhere has been found guilty of an offence and detained in a detention centre or other institution for juvenile offenders (not being detention merely for failure to pay a fine).
- A person who is currently bound by an order made in New South Wales or elsewhere pursuant to a criminal charge or conviction, not including an order for compensation, but including the following:
(a) a parole order, a community service order, an apprehended violence order and an order disqualifying the person from driving a motor vehicle,
(b) an order committing the person to prison for failure to pay a fine,
(c) a recognizance to be of good behaviour or to keep the peace, a remand in custody pending trial or sentence and a release on bail pending trial or sentence.
The following are ineligible for jury service:
- The Governor of New South Wales.
- A judicial officer (within the meaning of the Judicial Officers Act 1986).
- A member or officer of the Executive Council.
- A member of the Legislative Council or Legislative Assembly.
- Officers and other staff of either or both of the Houses of Parliament.
- A legal practitioner (whether or not a practising barrister or solicitor).
- A person employed or engaged (except on a casual or voluntary basis) in the public sector in law enforcement, criminal investigation, the provision of legal services in criminal cases, the administration of justice or penal administration.
- The Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman.
- A person who at any time has been a judicial officer (within the meaning of the Judicial Officers Act 1986) or a coroner, police officer, Crown Prosecutor, Public Defender, Director or Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions or Solicitor for Public Prosecutions.
- A person who is unable to read or understand English.
- A person who is unable, because of sickness, infirmity or disability, to discharge the duties of a juror.
If you are not included on these lists and receive a summons, you will be expected to attend court and be prepared to serve on a jury. You can still apply to be excused (see below).
University Students and Jury Service
Generally full time university students can be excused from attending jury service. Exemptions can also be made if your jury service is scheduled to clash with exams. If you believe that the length of the trial on your summons is such that your studies will be adversely affected, you can talk to the Sheriff’s staff when you attend court and seek an excusal at that time.
What do I do about work if I am summonsed?
Generally, jury service takes precedence over your job. While you serve on a jury your job is protected by the law.
There are a few circumstances and professions where you can apply to be excused from jury service for work reasons. These are:
- Vowed members of any religious order.
- Persons practising as dentists.
- Persons practising as pharmacists.
- Persons practising as medical practitioners.
- Mining managers and under-managers of mines.
- A person employed or engaged (except on a casual or voluntary basis) in the provision of fire, ambulance, rescue, or other emergency services, whether or not in the public sector.
- Persons who are at least 70 years old.
- A person who has the care, custody and control of children under the age of 18 years (other than children who have ceased attending school), and who, if exempted, would be the only person exempt under this item in respect of those children.
- A person who resides with, and has full-time care of, a person who is sick, infirm or disabled.
- A person who resides more than 56 kilometres from the place at which the person is required to serve.
- A person who:
(a) within the 3 years that end on the date of the person's claim for exemption, attended court in accordance with a summons and served as a juror, or
(b) within the 12 months that end on the date of the person's claim for exemption, attended court in accordance with a summons and who was prepared to, but did not, serve as a juror.
- A person who is entitled to be exempted on account of previous lengthy jury service.
What Will My Employer Say?
Your employer is required by law to release you for jury service. It is against the law for an employer to dismiss you or injure, prejudice or alter your employment as a result of your attending jury service.
Often bosses will continue to pay their employees while they are attending jury service. If not, jurors can be paid a daily attendance fee and travel allowance.
Jurors who aren’t being paid wages while serving are paid:
- for less than 4 hours attendance and not selected on the first day NIL
- for less than 4 hours and selected on the first day $44.00
- for more than 4 hours on the first day $88.40
- 2nd to 5th day $88.40
- 6th to 10th day $102.60
- 11th day and subsequent days $119.70
Can I be Excused from Jury Service?
Apart from the exemptions that were mentioned above, other people can be excused for good cause or in special circumstances.
You can apply to be excused from the particular jury service, you should comple the Application to be excused on the back of the summons and post or fax it to the Sheriff’s Office, if possible, with enough time for it to be received before you are due to attend court. On this application you must include the reasons why you are seeking to be excused, as well as any supporting documentation.
You will be notified as to the outcome of your application and if you are refused you must attend court on the day of your summons. If you apply to be excused and have not heard then you should telephone to check before the day on your summons. At court, you may again seek to be excused, this time by the judge (or coroner).
If you are excused from attendance you will remain on the jury roll and may receive another summons.
Who do I contact if I have further questions?
If you have any further questions you can contact your local Sheriff’s Office. The number will be listed on your summons.
Local Sheriff’s and other useful numbers are listed below:
Juror information (Head Office – Downing Centre): 1300 722574 or 9209 8222
TTY (for hearing impaired)
1800 469 889
Sheriffs Office Addresses
Albury
(Southern Region)
Olive St, Albury, 2640
(02) 6021 4388
Bankstown
(Sydney South Region)
Level 1, 6 Fetherstone St, Bankstown, 2200
(02) 9722 6050
Bateman's Bay
(Southern Region)
Orient Street, Bateman's Bay, 2536
(02) 4472 6039
Bathurst
(Western Region)
Russell St, Bathurst, 2795
(02) 6331 2167
Blacktown
(Sydney West Region)
1 Kildare Rd, Blacktown, 2148
(02) 9672 2677
Broken Hill
(Western Region)
Argent St, Broken Hill, 2880
(08) 8087 1204
Burwood
(Sydney South Region)
7-9 Belmore St, Burwood, 2134
(02) 9744 4090
Campbelltown
(Sydney West Region)
Railway St, Campbelltown, 2560
(02) 4629 9694
Central Local Court
(Sydney South Region)
98 Liverpool St, Sydney, 2000
(02) 9287 0187
Centralised Sales
(Sydney West Region)
13 Chicago Ave, Blacktown, 2148
(02) 9679 7093
Coffs Harbour
(Northern Region)
Moonee St, Coffs Harbour, 2450
(02) 6651 9753
Consumer Trading & Tenancy Tribunal
(Sydney North Region)
175 Castlereagh Street,
Sydney, 2000
(02) 9641 6450
Cooma
(Southern Region)
Vale St, Cooma, 2630
(02) 6452 2193
Coonamble
(Western Region)
Aberford St, Coonamble, 2829
(02) 6822 1258
Cootamundra
(Southern Region)
Parker St, Cootamundra, 2590
(02) 6942 3810
Darlinghurst
(Sydney North Region)
Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, 2010
(02) 9368 2946
Dee Why
(Sydney North Region)
1/8 Pacific Parade, Dee Why, 2099
(02) 9971 4908
Deniliquin
(Western Region)
Cnr Poictiers & Wellington Sts, Deniliquin, 2710
(03) 5881 1902
Downing Centre
(Sydney South Region)
Ground Level, 143-147 Liverpool Street, Sydney, 2000
(02) 9287 7063
Dubbo
(Western Region)
Brisbane St,
Dubbo, 2830
(02) 6885 7650
East Maitland
(Sydney North Region)
John St,
East Maitland, 2323
(02) 4931 6300
Fairfield
(Sydney West Region)
Cnr Spencer St & Court Rd,
Fairfield, 2165
(02) 9794 7930
Gosford
(Sydney North Region)
Donnison St & Henry Parry Drive,
Gosford, 2250
(02) 43256903
Goulburn
(Southern Region)
Montague St, Goulburn, 2580
(02) 4824 0390
Grafton
(Northern Region)
Victoria St,
Grafton, 2460
(02) 6642 6850
Griffith
(Western Region)
Banna Avenue,
Griffith, 2680
(02) 6962 0855
Hornsby
(Sydney North Region)
294 Pacific Highway, Hornsby, 2077
(02) 9847 9926
Inverell
(Northern Region)
Otho Street,
Inverell, 2360
(02) 6722 5286
John Maddison Tower
(Sydney South Region)
Cnr Goulburn and Castlereagh Streets, Sydney, 2000
(02) 9377 5288
Katoomba
(Sydney West Region)
5-7 Civic Place, Katoomba, 2780
(02) 4782 1675
King Street
(Sydney North Region)
King St Court Complex
Cnr King & Elizabeth Sts, Sydney, 2000
(02) 9228 8840
Lismore
(Northern Region)
9-11 Zadoc Street, Lismore, 2480
(02) 6623 3665
Liverpool
(Sydney West Region)
150 George St, Liverpool, 2170
(02) 9821 7851
Moree
(Northern Region)
Frome Street, Moree, 2400
(02) 6752 1839
Moss Vale
(Southern Region)
Argyle Street, Moss Vale, 2577
(02) 4868 2183
Mudgee
(Western Region)
96 Market Street, Mudgee 2850
(02) 6372 2629
Murwillumbah
(Northern Region)
Main Street, Murwillumbah, 2484
(02) 6672 5736
Muswellbrook
(Northern Region)
Bridge Street, Muswellbrook, 2333
(02) 6543 3027
Narrabri
(Northern Region)
Maitland Street, Narrabri 2390
(02) 6792 1084
Newcastle
(Sydney North Region)
Church Street, Newcastle, 2300
(02) 49212290
Nowra
(Southern Region)
Plunkett Street, Nowra, 2541
(02) 4421 2135
Nyngan
(Western Region)
Cobar Street, Nyngan, 2825
(02) 6832 1981
Orange
(Western Region)
Cnr Lords Place & Byng Street, Orange, 2800
(02) 6361 4299
Parkes
(Western Region)
Currajong Street, Parkes, 2870
(02) 6862 1027
Parramatta
(Sydney West Region)
Cnr George & Marsden Streets, Parramatta, 2150
(02) 9895 4170
Penrith
(Sydney West Region)
Henry Street,
Penrith, 2750
(02) 4720 1552
Port Macquarie
(Northern Region)
22-26 Murray Street, Port Macquarie, 2444
(02) 6586 2433
Queanbeyan
(Southern Region)
Farrer Place, Queanbeyan, 2620
(02) 6298 0454
Richmond
(Sydney West Region)
Windsor St, Richmond, 2753
(02) 4578 0731
Sheriff's Operations Centre
(Sydney South Region)
Downing Centre, 143-147 Liverpool St,
Sydney, 2000
(02) 9287 7007
Sutherland
(Sydney South Region)
Cnr Flora & Belmont Sts, Sutherland, 2232
(02) 9542 0232
Tamworth
(Northern Region)
Cnr Marius and Fitzroy Sts, Tamworth, 2340
(02) 6764 5755
Taree
(Northern Region)
Albert St, Taree, 2430
(02) 6552 5730
Toronto
(Sydney North Region)
Carey St, Toronto, 2283
(02) 4935 8345
Wagga Wagga
(Southern Region)
Fitzmaurice St, Wagga Wagga, 2650
(02) 6922 0970
Wollongong
(Southern Region)
Market and Church Sts, Wollongong, 2500
(02) 4223 3666
Wyong
(Sydney North Region)
Sheriff's Office, Court House, Wyong, 2259
(02) 4350 3052
Regional Managers
Sydney North
King Street Law Courts Building
Queens Square, Sydney 2000
(02) 9228 8820
Sydney South
Level 2, Downing Centre Liverpool Street, Sydney 2000
(02) 9287 7081
Sydney West
13 Chicago Ave,
Blacktown 2148
(02) 9679 7092
Northern Region
Cnr Marius and Fitzroy Sts, Tamworth 2340
(02) 6764 5750
Southern Region
Level 2, Downing Centre Liverpool Street, Sydney 2000
(02) 9287 7261
Western Region
Brisbane Street,
Dubbo 2830
(02) 6885 7670
If you have a comment, suggestion or complaint you can email us sheriffs_feedback@agd.nsw.gov.au .
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