Applicable Legal Principles
7 The general legal principles applicable on an application to discharge individual jurors are clear: R (Cth) v Petroulias (No. 26) [2007] NSWSC 819 at [8]-[10].
8 Section 22 Jury Act 1977 does not expressly confer upon the Court a power or discretion to discharge an individual juror, however, that is assumed as a common law or implied or inherent power: Wu v The Queen [1999] 199 CLR 99 at 114 [46], 118 [54]; R v Radju [2001] 53 NSWLR 471 at 475 [17]; Petroulias v The Queen [2007] NSWCCA 134 at [17], [58].
9 Section 22 relieves the Court of the common law mandatory obligation to discharge the entire jury and permits continuation of the trial with a jury of 10 if the Court so orders: s.22(a)(i) Jury Act 1977; Wu v The Queen at 106 [21], 107 [27], 112 [42], 114 [46]; Brownlee v The Queen [2001] 207 CLR 278 at 289 [22]-[23], 296 [51], 331 [149], 342 [186]; R v Radju at 475 [17].
10 There are two separate steps to the process - firstly, whether the juror should be discharged and, if that occurs, whether the trial should continue with a jury of 10: Wu v The Queen at 103 [8], 107 [26]; R v Radju at 475 [18].
11 There is no closed category of circumstances which may warrant the discharge of a juror during a trial. Usual circumstances involve illness on the part of a juror or some event or revelation which otherwise impacts upon the appropriateness of the juror continuing to serve.
12 In Wu v The Queen, Gleeson CJ and Hayne J, at 103 [9] observed that the decision to discharge a juror may require consideration of difficult questions of fact and degree. At 103 [6], their Honours observed that the conduct of, or circumstances affecting, a single juror may require that juror's discharge, although that conduct or those circumstances may not affect the other members of the jury or suggest that they cannot perform their task satisfactorily.
13 As Simpson J (Hodgson JA and Barr J agreeing) observed in R v Reardon (2002) 186 FLR 1, at 23 [96], s.22 Jury Act 1977 envisages a very broad power or discretion in relation to the discharge of individual jurors, as reference is made to discharge where a juror is "through illness incapable of continuing to act" but broadens that scope by addition of the words "or for any other reason".
14 An additional and specific matter is pertinent to the present judgment. The Crown referred to the decision of the Victorian Court of Appeal in R v Ousley (1996) 87 A Crim R 326 at 339-345, where the Court (Hayne JA, Southwell and Smith AJJA) considered a ground of appeal against conviction arising from a refusal by the trial judge to discharge a juror in circumstances where it was contended the juror was unable to give undivided attention to the trial by reason of pressure being brought to bear upon the juror during the trial by her employer.
15 The decision of the Victorian Court of Appeal was the subject of appeal to the High Court of Australia (Ousley v The Queen [1997] 192 CLR 69) on other grounds. It was submitted to the Victorian Court of Appeal that the trial judge had erred in declining to discharge the relevant juror, with the appellant relying upon statements in Black v The Queen [1993] 179 CLR 44 at 50-51 concerning the fundamental principle that the jury must be free to deliberate without any pressure being brought to bear upon them. In the circumstances of R v Ousley, the Victorian Court of Appeal held (at 344-345) that the trial judge had not erred in the exercise of discretion in declining to discharge the juror who appeared to be under some stress with respect to employment. In that case, the juror stated that she wished to continue to serve as a juror in the trial and indicated that she did not feel that her ability to continue to act as a juror was affected by the employment-related stress (at 341). It remained a matter for the trial judge to determine whether the juror could and would perform her task without being distracted (at 345).
16 As will be seen, considerations of the type referred to in R v Ousley arose in connection with the discharge application by the employment juror.
Events from 13 June 2007 to 5 December 2007
17 It is necessary to place in context the present applications for discharge.
18 The Court and the parties were informed on 4 July 2007 that the pregnant juror was pregnant (MFI24). That juror has continued to serve as a juror and has made no application to be discharged. A request was made for special consideration for medical appointments that needed to be made relating to the pregnancy (MFI24). The present appearance of the juror confirms that her pregnancy is well advanced.
19 After the trial had been underway for some time, the Court received a request on 31 July 2007 from the employment juror to be excused for two days in August 2007 to permit him to undertake a process of assessment for a new position which he regarded, reasonably, as being most important to his professional career path in the industry in which he worked (MFI56; T1578). On 6 August 2007, the employment juror indicated that the assessment process had been deferred and withdrew his request to be excused for those days (MFI64; T1713). On 12 September 2007, the employment juror renewed the application to be excused for the assessment process then scheduled for 17, 18, 19, 22 and 23 October 2007 (MFI94; T3011).
20 Having consulted counsel on the issue, a request was made that the juror seek to reschedule the assessment (MFI95; T3015-3023), but this was not possible (MFI101; T3236 and MFI106; T3299-3300). Having once again consulted counsel, I determined that it was appropriate to excuse the juror for the days requested to allow this process to be undertaken and the juror was so informed (T3332). It was also possible to utilise part of this period for the purpose of another juror who required tear-duct surgery: R (Cth) v Petroulias (No. 31) at [8].
21 Following the assessment, the employment juror informed the Court by way of a note on 29 October 2007 (MFI118) that he had been successful in the assessment process and was to commence training as part of the employment process on 10 December 2007.
22 The closing addresses of counsel commenced on 9 October 2007 and concluded on 20 November 2007 (with some breaks during that period). The Court heard submissions and made decisions, in the absence of the jury, on 21-23 November 2007 concerning written directions and a chronology to be provided to the jury. My summing up commenced on 26 November 2007 and concluded on 4 December 2007.
23 As the trial progressed, the employment juror furnished notes to the Court indicating concerns which he had with respect to the approaching commencement date of 10 December 2007. On 29 November 2007, the juror provided documentation which demonstrated that he had on 6 November 2007 proposed to his future employer the deferral of the commencement date from 10 December 2007 to 7 January 2008 (MFI149). A complication in this respect was an important personal commitment of the juror in February 2008 which would interrupt a process commencing on 7 January 2008. According to the documentation provided by the juror (MFI149), the employer indicated to the juror on 7 November 2007 that it was not possible to accommodate the request by the juror to reschedule the commencement date to 7 January 2008 as other persons were affected by the commencement date given the nature of the industry involved. The employer indicated to the juror that, if he did not commence as scheduled, then he would be placed on "active hold" and offered a position when it could be confirmed. It seemed to me that the employment juror had made reasonable efforts to defer the commencement date until 7 January 2008.
24 In a note (MFI149) received on 29 November 2007, the employment juror foreshadowed an application to be discharged from the jury if verdicts had not been reached by 4.00 pm on Friday, 7 December 2007. The juror indicated that, following the offer of employment made in late October 2007, he had resigned from his previous employment. He indicated that he had substantial mortgage commitments and that the commencement of employment on 10 December 2007 was critical for financial, as well as personal and professional reasons. Counsel were informed of the position, and I raised with the employment juror the ability of the Sheriff's Office to make representations to his new employer (MFI149). The juror requested that this not be done as he did not think that it would assist. Given the point that the trial had reached, I accepted this and the Sheriff's Office were not requested to intervene at that time (MFI150).
25 I raised with the jury the possibility of deliberations continuing, if verdicts had not been reached, on the weekend of 8-9 December 2007. I was informed (MFI159 and MFI163) that two members of the jury had made interstate travel arrangements for that weekend.
26 On 5 December 2007, after the jury had retired to consider its verdicts, I received a further note from the employment juror. He indicated an increased level of stress and concern given the uncertainty surrounding his position (MFI159). Having heard submissions of counsel on the question, I formed the view that a note to the following effect should be handed to the juror (MFI164):
"Your application is receiving careful consideration by his Honour.