{"id":"F2019L00118","name":"Jury Exemption Regulations 2019","slug":"jury-exemption-regulations-2019","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":98737,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2019L00118-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"Part 1","sectionType":"part","heading":"Preliminary","content":"## Part 1—Preliminary","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name","content":"#### 1 Name\n\n  This instrument is the Jury Exemption Regulations 2019.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Authority","content":"#### 3 Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under the Jury Exemption Act 1965.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"Definitions","content":"#### 5 Definitions\n\n> Note: The expression Commonwealth employee is used in this instrument and is defined in the Act.\n\n  In this instrument:\n\n> Act means the Jury Exemption Act 1965.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"Part 2","sectionType":"part","heading":"Exemption of certain Commonwealth employees from jury service","content":"## Part 2—Exemption of certain Commonwealth employees from jury service","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"6","sectionType":"section","heading":"Certain Commonwealth employees exempt from service as jurors in courts","content":"#### 6 Certain Commonwealth employees exempt from service as jurors in courts\n\n  A Commonwealth employee covered by section 7, 8, 9 or 10 is exempt from liability to serve as a juror in:\n    (a) federal courts; and\n    (b) courts of the States (whether exercising jurisdiction in the State concerned or outside it); and\n    (c) courts of the following Territories (whether exercising jurisdiction in the Territory concerned or outside it):\n    (i) the Australian Capital Territory;\n    (ii) the Northern Territory;\n    (iii) Norfolk Island;\n    (iv) the Territory of Christmas Island.","sortOrder":5},{"sectionNumber":"7","sectionType":"section","heading":"Senior Commonwealth employees","content":"#### 7 Senior Commonwealth employees\n\n  This section covers a Commonwealth employee:\n    (a) who is an Agency Head (as defined in the Public Service Act 1999); or\n    (b) who is an SES employee, or an acting SES employee, with a classification of Senior Executive Band 3 or an APS employee who holds, or is acting in, an equivalent position; or\n    (c) who holds an office, or performs the duties of a position, that is comparable to that of an Agency Head, or an SES employee with a classification of Senior Executive Band 3.\n\n> Note: For acting SES employee and SES employee, see section 2B of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901.","sortOrder":6},{"sectionNumber":"8","sectionType":"section","heading":"Commonwealth employees involved in the administration of justice","content":"#### 8 Commonwealth employees involved in the administration of justice\n\n  This section covers a Commonwealth employee who is any of the following:\n    (a) an officer of, or APS employee in, any of the following, whose duties involve the provision of legal services:\n    (i) a Department;\n    (ii) the Office of Parliamentary Counsel;\n    (iii) the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions;\n    (b) an officer or employee of the High Court;\n    (c) a person who is either:\n    (i) an officer of a federal court other than the High Court; or\n    (ii) an APS employee whose services are made available for the purposes of the administrative affairs of a federal court other than the High Court;\n    whose duties relate directly and substantially to the administration of justice;\n    (d) an APS employee in the National Measurement Institute whose duties involve providing analytical or calibration services or advice;\n    (e) a person employed under section 24 of the Australian Federal Police Act 1979;\n    (f) a person who is any of the following:\n    (i) the Chief Executive Officer of the ACC;\n    (ii) an examiner appointed under the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002;\n    (iii) a member of the staff of the ACC referred to in subsection 47(1) of the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002;\n    (g) a member, the Principal Registrar or a staff member of the Administrative Review Tribunal, within the meaning of the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024.\n    (h) a member of the National Native Title Tribunal, the Native Title Registrar, a Deputy Registrar of that Tribunal or a member of the staff assisting that Tribunal;\n    (i) a staff member (as defined in the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001) whose duties involve the provision of legal services or investigating matters.","sortOrder":7},{"sectionNumber":"9","sectionType":"section","heading":"Commonwealth employees working on biosecurity etc.","content":"#### 9 Commonwealth employees working on biosecurity etc.\n\n  This section covers a Commonwealth employee who:\n    (a) is an employee of a Commonwealth body, or part of a Commonwealth body, that is declared under section 452 of the Biosecurity Act 2015 to be a national response agency; and\n    (b) is performing functions or exercising powers under Part 1 of Chapter 8 of that Act in respect of a biosecurity emergency during a biosecurity emergency period.","sortOrder":8},{"sectionNumber":"10","sectionType":"section","heading":"Commonwealth employees working for key institutions","content":"#### 10 Commonwealth employees working for key institutions\n\n  This section covers a Commonwealth employee who is any of the following:\n    (a) the Official Secretary to the Governor‑General;\n    (b) an SES employee, or an acting SES employee, who is assisting a Royal Commission;\n    (c) a person performing the duties of Secretary to a committee of inquiry established under an Act;\n    (d) a person holding, or performing the duties of, one of the following positions relating to a Minister:\n    (i) Chief of Staff;\n    (ii) Principal Adviser;\n    (iii) Senior Adviser;\n    (iv) Senior Media Adviser;\n    (v) Adviser;\n    (vi) Media Adviser;\n    (g) a person holding, or performing the duties of, one of the following offices or positions in the Department of the Senate:\n    (i) Clerk of the Senate;\n    (ii) Deputy Clerk of the Senate;\n    (iii) Usher of the Black Rod;\n    (iv) an SES employee (as defined in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999), or an acting SES employee (as defined in that Act), with a classification of Senior Executive Band 1;\n    (v) Secretary to a committee established by the Senate, or jointly by the Senate and the House of Representatives (including a committee established by an Act);\n    or a Parliamentary Service employee (as defined in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999) performing the duties of a Clerk at the Table in the Senate;\n    (h) a person holding, or performing the duties of, one of the following offices or positions in the Department of the House of Representatives:\n    (i) Clerk of the House of Representatives;\n    (ii) Deputy Clerk of the House of Representatives;\n    (iii) Clerk Assistant (Procedure);\n    (iv) Clerk Assistant (Committees);\n    (v) Clerk Assistant (Table);\n    (vi) Serjeant‑at‑Arms;\n    (vii) Deputy Serjeant‑at‑Arms;\n    (viii) Director (Programming), Table Office;\n    (ix) Director (Legislation and Records), Table Office;\n    (x) Secretary to a committee established by the House of Representatives, or jointly by the House of Representatives and the Senate (including a committee established by an Act);\n    (i) a person holding, or performing the duties of, one of the following offices or positions in the joint Department (as defined in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999):\n    (i) Secretary;\n    (ii) Parliamentary Librarian;\n    (iii) Chief Information Officer;\n    (iv) First Assistant Secretary, Building and Security Division;\n    (v) Chief Operating Officer;\n    (vi) Chief Finance Officer;\n    (vii) Assistant Secretary, Capital Works Branch;\n    (viii) Director, Legal Services;\n    (j) the Parliamentary Budget Officer;\n    (k) an APS employee holding, or performing the duties of, a position of parliamentary liaison officer in the Department administered by the Prime Minister.","sortOrder":9},{"sectionNumber":"Part 3","sectionType":"part","heading":"Application, saving and transitional provisions","content":"## Part 1—Preliminary\n\n#### 1 Name\n\n  This instrument is the Jury Exemption Regulations 2019.\n\n#### 3 Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under the Jury Exemption Act 1965.\n\n#### 5 Definitions\n\n> Note: The expression Commonwealth employee is used in this instrument and is defined in the Act.\n\n  In this instrument:\n\n> Act means the Jury Exemption Act 1965.\n\n## Part 2—Exemption of certain Commonwealth employees from jury service\n\n#### 6 Certain Commonwealth employees exempt from service as jurors in courts\n\n  A Commonwealth employee covered by section 7, 8, 9 or 10 is exempt from liability to serve as a juror in:\n    (a) federal courts; and\n    (b) courts of the States (whether exercising jurisdiction in the State concerned or outside it); and\n    (c) courts of the following Territories (whether exercising jurisdiction in the Territory concerned or outside it):\n    (i) the Australian Capital Territory;\n    (ii) the Northern Territory;\n    (iii) Norfolk Island;\n    (iv) the Territory of Christmas Island.\n\n#### 7 Senior Commonwealth employees\n\n  This section covers a Commonwealth employee:\n    (a) who is an Agency Head (as defined in the Public Service Act 1999); or\n    (b) who is an SES employee, or an acting SES employee, with a classification of Senior Executive Band 3 or an APS employee who holds, or is acting in, an equivalent position; or\n    (c) who holds an office, or performs the duties of a position, that is comparable to that of an Agency Head, or an SES employee with a classification of Senior Executive Band 3.\n\n> Note: For acting SES employee and SES employee, see section 2B of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901.\n\n#### 8 Commonwealth employees involved in the administration of justice\n\n  This section covers a Commonwealth employee who is any of the following:\n    (a) an officer of, or APS employee in, any of the following, whose duties involve the provision of legal services:\n    (i) a Department;\n    (ii) the Office of Parliamentary Counsel;\n    (iii) the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions;\n    (b) an officer or employee of the High Court;\n    (c) a person who is either:\n    (i) an officer of a federal court other than the High Court; or\n    (ii) an APS employee whose services are made available for the purposes of the administrative affairs of a federal court other than the High Court;\n    whose duties relate directly and substantially to the administration of justice;\n    (d) an APS employee in the National Measurement Institute whose duties involve providing analytical or calibration services or advice;\n    (e) a person employed under section 24 of the Australian Federal Police Act 1979;\n    (f) a person who is any of the following:\n    (i) the Chief Executive Officer of the ACC;\n    (ii) an examiner appointed under the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002;\n    (iii) a member of the staff of the ACC referred to in subsection 47(1) of the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002;\n    (g) a member, the Principal Registrar or a staff member of the Administrative Review Tribunal, within the meaning of the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024.\n    (h) a member of the National Native Title Tribunal, the Native Title Registrar, a Deputy Registrar of that Tribunal or a member of the staff assisting that Tribunal;\n    (i) a staff member (as defined in the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001) whose duties involve the provision of legal services or investigating matters.\n\n#### 9 Commonwealth employees working on biosecurity etc.\n\n  This section covers a Commonwealth employee who:\n    (a) is an employee of a Commonwealth body, or part of a Commonwealth body, that is declared under section 452 of the Biosecurity Act 2015 to be a national response agency; and\n    (b) is performing functions or exercising powers under Part 1 of Chapter 8 of that Act in respect of a biosecurity emergency during a biosecurity emergency period.\n\n#### 10 Commonwealth employees working for key institutions\n\n  This section covers a Commonwealth employee who is any of the following:\n    (a) the Official Secretary to the Governor‑General;\n    (b) an SES employee, or an acting SES employee, who is assisting a Royal Commission;\n    (c) a person performing the duties of Secretary to a committee of inquiry established under an Act;\n    (d) a person holding, or performing the duties of, one of the following positions relating to a Minister:\n    (i) Chief of Staff;\n    (ii) Principal Adviser;\n    (iii) Senior Adviser;\n    (iv) Senior Media Adviser;\n    (v) Adviser;\n    (vi) Media Adviser;\n    (g) a person holding, or performing the duties of, one of the following offices or positions in the Department of the Senate:\n    (i) Clerk of the Senate;\n    (ii) Deputy Clerk of the Senate;\n    (iii) Usher of the Black Rod;\n    (iv) an SES employee (as defined in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999), or an acting SES employee (as defined in that Act), with a classification of Senior Executive Band 1;\n    (v) Secretary to a committee established by the Senate, or jointly by the Senate and the House of Representatives (including a committee established by an Act);\n    or a Parliamentary Service employee (as defined in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999) performing the duties of a Clerk at the Table in the Senate;\n    (h) a person holding, or performing the duties of, one of the following offices or positions in the Department of the House of Representatives:\n    (i) Clerk of the House of Representatives;\n    (ii) Deputy Clerk of the House of Representatives;\n    (iii) Clerk Assistant (Procedure);\n    (iv) Clerk Assistant (Committees);\n    (v) Clerk Assistant (Table);\n    (vi) Serjeant‑at‑Arms;\n    (vii) Deputy Serjeant‑at‑Arms;\n    (viii) Director (Programming), Table Office;\n    (ix) Director (Legislation and Records), Table Office;\n    (x) Secretary to a committee established by the House of Representatives, or jointly by the House of Representatives and the Senate (including a committee established by an Act);\n    (i) a person holding, or performing the duties of, one of the following offices or positions in the joint Department (as defined in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999):\n    (i) Secretary;\n    (ii) Parliamentary Librarian;\n    (iii) Chief Information Officer;\n    (iv) First Assistant Secretary, Building and Security Division;\n    (v) Chief Operating Officer;\n    (vi) Chief Finance Officer;\n    (vii) Assistant Secretary, Capital Works Branch;\n    (viii) Director, Legal Services;\n    (j) the Parliamentary Budget Officer;\n    (k) an APS employee holding, or performing the duties of, a position of parliamentary liaison officer in the Department administered by the Prime Minister.\n\n## Part 3—Application, saving and transitional provisions\n\n### Division 1—Provisions for this instrument as originally made\n\n#### 11 Application to liability to serve arising on or after commencement\n\n  This instrument applies to liability to serve as a juror that arises on or after the commencement of this instrument.","sortOrder":10},{"sectionNumber":"Division 1","sectionType":"division","heading":"Provisions for this instrument as originally made","content":"## Part 1—Preliminary\n\n#### 1 Name\n\n  This instrument is the Jury Exemption Regulations 2019.\n\n#### 3 Authority\n\n  This instrument is made under the Jury Exemption Act 1965.\n\n#### 5 Definitions\n\n> Note: The expression Commonwealth employee is used in this instrument and is defined in the Act.\n\n  In this instrument:\n\n> Act means the Jury Exemption Act 1965.\n\n## Part 2—Exemption of certain Commonwealth employees from jury service\n\n#### 6 Certain Commonwealth employees exempt from service as jurors in courts\n\n  A Commonwealth employee covered by section 7, 8, 9 or 10 is exempt from liability to serve as a juror in:\n    (a) federal courts; and\n    (b) courts of the States (whether exercising jurisdiction in the State concerned or outside it); and\n    (c) courts of the following Territories (whether exercising jurisdiction in the Territory concerned or outside it):\n    (i) the Australian Capital Territory;\n    (ii) the Northern Territory;\n    (iii) Norfolk Island;\n    (iv) the Territory of Christmas Island.\n\n#### 7 Senior Commonwealth employees\n\n  This section covers a Commonwealth employee:\n    (a) who is an Agency Head (as defined in the Public Service Act 1999); or\n    (b) who is an SES employee, or an acting SES employee, with a classification of Senior Executive Band 3 or an APS employee who holds, or is acting in, an equivalent position; or\n    (c) who holds an office, or performs the duties of a position, that is comparable to that of an Agency Head, or an SES employee with a classification of Senior Executive Band 3.\n\n> Note: For acting SES employee and SES employee, see section 2B of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901.\n\n#### 8 Commonwealth employees involved in the administration of justice\n\n  This section covers a Commonwealth employee who is any of the following:\n    (a) an officer of, or APS employee in, any of the following, whose duties involve the provision of legal services:\n    (i) a Department;\n    (ii) the Office of Parliamentary Counsel;\n    (iii) the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions;\n    (b) an officer or employee of the High Court;\n    (c) a person who is either:\n    (i) an officer of a federal court other than the High Court; or\n    (ii) an APS employee whose services are made available for the purposes of the administrative affairs of a federal court other than the High Court;\n    whose duties relate directly and substantially to the administration of justice;\n    (d) an APS employee in the National Measurement Institute whose duties involve providing analytical or calibration services or advice;\n    (e) a person employed under section 24 of the Australian Federal Police Act 1979;\n    (f) a person who is any of the following:\n    (i) the Chief Executive Officer of the ACC;\n    (ii) an examiner appointed under the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002;\n    (iii) a member of the staff of the ACC referred to in subsection 47(1) of the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002;\n    (g) a member, the Principal Registrar or a staff member of the Administrative Review Tribunal, within the meaning of the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024.\n    (h) a member of the National Native Title Tribunal, the Native Title Registrar, a Deputy Registrar of that Tribunal or a member of the staff assisting that Tribunal;\n    (i) a staff member (as defined in the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001) whose duties involve the provision of legal services or investigating matters.\n\n#### 9 Commonwealth employees working on biosecurity etc.\n\n  This section covers a Commonwealth employee who:\n    (a) is an employee of a Commonwealth body, or part of a Commonwealth body, that is declared under section 452 of the Biosecurity Act 2015 to be a national response agency; and\n    (b) is performing functions or exercising powers under Part 1 of Chapter 8 of that Act in respect of a biosecurity emergency during a biosecurity emergency period.\n\n#### 10 Commonwealth employees working for key institutions\n\n  This section covers a Commonwealth employee who is any of the following:\n    (a) the Official Secretary to the Governor‑General;\n    (b) an SES employee, or an acting SES employee, who is assisting a Royal Commission;\n    (c) a person performing the duties of Secretary to a committee of inquiry established under an Act;\n    (d) a person holding, or performing the duties of, one of the following positions relating to a Minister:\n    (i) Chief of Staff;\n    (ii) Principal Adviser;\n    (iii) Senior Adviser;\n    (iv) Senior Media Adviser;\n    (v) Adviser;\n    (vi) Media Adviser;\n    (g) a person holding, or performing the duties of, one of the following offices or positions in the Department of the Senate:\n    (i) Clerk of the Senate;\n    (ii) Deputy Clerk of the Senate;\n    (iii) Usher of the Black Rod;\n    (iv) an SES employee (as defined in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999), or an acting SES employee (as defined in that Act), with a classification of Senior Executive Band 1;\n    (v) Secretary to a committee established by the Senate, or jointly by the Senate and the House of Representatives (including a committee established by an Act);\n    or a Parliamentary Service employee (as defined in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999) performing the duties of a Clerk at the Table in the Senate;\n    (h) a person holding, or performing the duties of, one of the following offices or positions in the Department of the House of Representatives:\n    (i) Clerk of the House of Representatives;\n    (ii) Deputy Clerk of the House of Representatives;\n    (iii) Clerk Assistant (Procedure);\n    (iv) Clerk Assistant (Committees);\n    (v) Clerk Assistant (Table);\n    (vi) Serjeant‑at‑Arms;\n    (vii) Deputy Serjeant‑at‑Arms;\n    (viii) Director (Programming), Table Office;\n    (ix) Director (Legislation and Records), Table Office;\n    (x) Secretary to a committee established by the House of Representatives, or jointly by the House of Representatives and the Senate (including a committee established by an Act);\n    (i) a person holding, or performing the duties of, one of the following offices or positions in the joint Department (as defined in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999):\n    (i) Secretary;\n    (ii) Parliamentary Librarian;\n    (iii) Chief Information Officer;\n    (iv) First Assistant Secretary, Building and Security Division;\n    (v) Chief Operating Officer;\n    (vi) Chief Finance Officer;\n    (vii) Assistant Secretary, Capital Works Branch;\n    (viii) Director, Legal Services;\n    (j) the Parliamentary Budget Officer;\n    (k) an APS employee holding, or performing the duties of, a position of parliamentary liaison officer in the Department administered by the Prime Minister.\n\n## Part 3—Application, saving and transitional provisions\n\n### Division 1—Provisions for this instrument as originally made\n\n#### 11 Application to liability to serve arising on or after commencement\n\n  This instrument applies to liability to serve as a juror that arises on or after the commencement of this instrument.","sortOrder":11},{"sectionNumber":"11","sectionType":"section","heading":"Application to liability to serve arising on or after commencement","content":"#### 11 Application to liability to serve arising on or after commencement\n\n  This instrument applies to liability to serve as a juror that arises on or after the commencement of this instrument.","sortOrder":12}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Regulations remain within the original, narrow purpose of the Jury Exemption Act 1965: to identify Commonwealth employees who are not liable to serve as jurors. This version primarily specifies and updates which offices, classifications and functions are exempt (s7–s10) and clarifies prospective application (s11). It adds contemporary cross‑references to newer statutory entities (for example the Administrative Review Tribunal wording) and enumerates a larger list of parliamentary and senior public service positions, but it does not change the fundamental scope — exemptions are limited to Commonwealth employees and to the situations described in the instrument."},"complexity_factors":["Short instrument concentrated in few provisions (ss1–11) but contains many specific role listings in ss7–10","Several cross‑references to other Acts that define key terms or trigger conditions (Public Service Act 1999; Acts Interpretation Act 1901; Biosecurity Act 2015 s452; Australian Federal Police Act 1979; Australian Crime Commission Act 2002; Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024; Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001; Parliamentary Service Act 1999)","Multiple role‑based and function‑based tests (seniority/classification in s7; duties “directly and substantially” related to administration of justice in s8; biosecurity emergency condition in s9; many named parliamentary/ministerial positions in s10)","Several relatively open‑ended phrases requiring interpretation (\"comparable to\", \"directly and substantially\"), producing implementation discretion","Conditional exemption for biosecurity staff requires two conjunctive conditions (designation of body under s452 of Biosecurity Act and performance of Part 1, Ch 8 functions during a declared biosecurity emergency) (s9)","Prospective application only (liability arising on or after commencement) (s11)","Repeated duplication of the same Parts and sections in the provided text (editorial repetition) increases reading/parsing effort though not substantive lawfulness"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanically)**\n\n- The Jury Exemption Regulations 2019 list specific categories of Commonwealth (federal) public servants who are not required to serve as jurors. (See s6.)\n- The exemption applies to service as a juror in federal courts, state courts (whether sitting inside or outside the State) and certain Territory courts (Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory, Norfolk Island and Christmas Island). (s6)\n- The Regulations identify the exempt groups by role or by the function they perform: senior executives and equivalents (s7); persons whose duties are directly and substantially connected with the administration of justice and specified legal or court-support roles (s8); employees performing specific biosecurity emergency response duties during a declared biosecurity emergency (s9); and a long list of parliamentary, ministerial and other key institutional positions (s10).\n- The instrument applies to any liability to serve as a juror that arises on or after the instrument’s commencement (prospective effect). (s11)\n\n**Who is affected**\n\n- Exempted: particular Commonwealth employees named or described in sections 7–10. Examples include Agency Heads and senior SES equivalents (s7); legal officers in the Attorney‑related bodies and court staff (s8(a)–(c)); certain AFP and ACC staff and staff of tribunals named in s8(e)–(i); staff of a declared national response agency doing Part 1, Chapter 8 biosecurity emergency work during an emergency period (s9); and a range of parliamentary and ministerial officers such as Clerks, Serjeant‑at‑Arms, Chief of Staff, Parliamentary Budget Officer and various senior officers in the joint department. (s10)\n- Not exempted: people who are not Commonwealth employees or who do not fall into the listed categories remain liable to be summoned for jury service.\n\n**Why it matters (stated purpose and practical implications)**\n\n- The Regulations implement the Jury Exemption Act 1965 by identifying which federal public servants are formally excused from jury duty. The stated purpose (implicit in the structure) is to avoid the operational difficulty and public‑interest tension that would arise if certain officials were required to attend jury panels when their official duties are time‑critical, confidential, or would create conflicts of interest (see s7–s10).\n\n**Tests and trade‑offs (consequences, incentives and administrative effects)**\n\n- Who pays: there is no direct new public spending item in the text; the principal \"costs\" are administrative and institutional. Courts and agencies must recognise and process exemption claims (s6, s11). Agencies bear any work‑rescheduling or coverage costs when exempt staff do not attend jury panels.\n- Effects on the jury pool: exemptions remove a defined set of public servants from the eligible population. The groups listed are relatively small and concentrated in public service senior roles and specialist functions; therefore the reduction in the jury pool is concentrated rather than widespread. (s7–s10)\n- Administrative burden and verification: the Regulations rely on role titles, statutory classifications and cross‑references to other Acts (for example, the Public Service Act 1999 classification terms and the Biosecurity Act 2015 declaration mechanism). Agencies and courts will need to verify claimed status (s7 note; s9 cross‑reference to s452 of the Biosecurity Act 2015). That creates modest compliance and verification tasks for HR, courts and local jury administrators.\n- Discretion and interpretive risk: most exemptions are rule‑based (by office or classification). However, a few drafting choices introduce interpretive room: e.g. \"comparable to\" an Agency Head or SES Band 3 (s7(c)), and \"duties relate directly and substantially to the administration of justice\" (s8(c)). Those phrases may require administrative judgment or court interpretation in borderline cases, creating some implementation risk and potential inconsistency between agencies. (s7(c), s8(c))\n- Opportunity cost and substitution effects: because exemptions are targeted to public servants, the practical substitution is that jury summons will fall on non‑exempt citizens (private individuals and employees). Impact on private businesses is indirect and limited: exempting senior public officials does not change firms’ contractual freedom or market competition; it may, however, modestly shift the burden of jury service onto the general population.\n- Concentrated benefits, diffuse costs: the direct benefit (avoidance of jury duty) is concentrated among listed officials. Any costs (slightly smaller juror pools, modest administrative verification) are diffuse and shared across the community and court administration.\n\n**Implementation detail to note**\n\n- The Regulations depend on definitions and classifications in other statutes (e.g. Public Service Act 1999, Acts Interpretation Act 1901, Biosecurity Act 2015, Australian Federal Police Act 1979, Australian Crime Commission Act 2002, Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024, Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001, Parliamentary Service Act 1999). Agencies will need to consult those instruments to determine coverage. (See notes and cross‑references in ss7–10 and the notes accompanying them.)\n\n**Bottom line**\n\n- Mechanically: this instrument specifies which Commonwealth employees are automatically exempt from jury service in federal, state and certain Territory courts (ss6–10) and applies to jury liability arising after it commences (s11).\n- Practically: it removes particular senior, legal, court‑support, emergency‑response and parliamentary staff from the jury pool, creates a small administrative verification task for agencies and courts, and leaves the remainder of the population subject to ordinary jury summons procedures."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":4,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation maintains its original purpose of exempting specific categories of Commonwealth employees from jury service. While the list of exempt positions has expanded over time through amendments (notably the 2024 addition of Administrative Review Tribunal staff), this represents natural evolution within the established framework rather than scope creep beyond the original intent."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple nested definitions requiring cross-referencing to other Acts (Public Service Act 1999, Parliamentary Service Act 1999, Biosecurity Act 2015, etc.)","Detailed position-by-position enumeration in section 10 covering over 20 specific parliamentary and ministerial roles","Conditional exemption in section 9 limited to biosecurity emergency periods only","Use of undefined comparative language in section 7(c) ('comparable to that of an Agency Head')","Complex employment status distinctions (acting vs. permanent, SES vs. APS, officers vs. employees)"],"plain_english_summary":"This legislation exempts certain Commonwealth employees from jury duty in federal, state, and territory courts. It identifies four categories of employees who don't have to serve: senior executives (like Agency Heads and Senior Executive Band 3 officers), justice system workers (including lawyers in government departments, court staff, AFP officers, and tribunal members), biosecurity emergency responders during active emergencies, and key parliamentary staff (including ministerial advisers, Clerks of the Senate and House of Representatives, and senior parliamentary department officials). The exemption applies to all Australian courts—federal, state, and territory courts in the ACT, Northern Territory, Norfolk Island, and Christmas Island. The regulations only apply to jury service obligations that arise after these rules started."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/jury-exemption-regulations-2019","history":"/api/acts/jury-exemption-regulations-2019/history","analysis":"/api/acts/jury-exemption-regulations-2019/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/jury-exemption-regulations-2019/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/jury-exemption-regulations-2019/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/jury-exemption-regulations-2019/documents"}}