12BOffences in relation to jurors

12B Offences in relation to jurors

(1) A person who is served with a summons to attend as a juror in a trial in the Supreme Court held wholly or partly in a State shall not: (a) fail to attend in accordance with the summons; or (b) having so attended, withdraw from the presence of the Court, without the permission of the Sheriff, before being discharged or excused by a judge of the Court or the Sheriff.

Penalty: Imprisonment for 1 month or 2 penalty units.

(1A) Subsection (1) does not apply if the person has a reasonable excuse.

Note: A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subsection (1A) (see subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code).

(2) A person shall not personate a person who is a juror with the intention of sitting on a jury.

Penalty: Imprisonment for 6 months or 10 penalty units.

(3) A person shall not: (a) engage in conduct that results in the corruption of a juror; (b) make or promise a payment to a juror, or confer or promise to confer any other benefit on a juror in relation to the person’s service as a juror, other than a payment of the ordinary remuneration of the juror’s employment; or (c) being a juror, accept such a payment or benefit.

Penalty: Imprisonment for 5 years.

(4) In this section:

engage in conduct means:

(a) do an act; or
(b) omit to perform an act.

juror includes a person whose name is on a jury panel.