Tony Gregory
Question:152 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice if jurors for the District Court may claim créche expenses for the duration of their service. [11753/97]
Written Answers. - Juror Expenses.
The District Court is a court of summary jurisdiction and consequently where offences are being tried in that court the presiding judge sits without a jury. The question of jurors in the District Court does not, therefore, arise. However, where offences are being tried in the Circuit Court or the High Court, the presiding judge is obliged under Article 38 of the Constitution to sit with a jury.
In relation to expenses, the position is that there is no provision in the Juries Act, 1976 for the payment out of State funds of expenses of any kind to jurors. When the Act was introduced, consideration was given to the matter of expenses but it was decided that expenses should not be paid as performance of jury service is considered to be a basic civil duty which arises relatively infrequently as far as the individual is concerned. In certain criminal trials, where the issue is one of security and protection of the jury, jurors may where necessary be provided with lunch.
Section 29 of the Act does, however, make provision for employees to be paid by their employers when engaged on jury service.
Under section 9 of the 1976 Act, a county registrar may excuse any person whom he-she has summoned as a juror from attendance during the whole or any part of the sittings in question if that person shows to the registrar's satisfaction that there is good reason why he-she should be so excused.
Thus a request for exclusal from jury service in Dublin, for example, should be addressed to the County Registrar, Circuit Court Office, Four Courts, Dublin 7, on the relevant portion of the jury summons form.