Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 October 2010
164 Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Justice and Law Reform if deaf persons are deemed to be ineligible for jury service; if so, the reasons for this exclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35659/10]
View answerSection 64 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2008 introduced an amendment to the First Schedule of the Juries Act 1976 which places the emphasis on a person's capacity to perform the duties of jury service and does not automatically exclude any person because of an infirmity. My Department is considering, in consultation with the Attorney General, the recent High Court judgment in the Clarke case. In addition, as the Deputy may be aware, as part of its Third Programme of Law Reform 2008-2014, the Law Reform Commission published a Consultation Paper on Jury Service on 29th March 2010, inviting submissions on the paper and its provisional recommendations. I look forward to the publication of the Commission’s final report and recommendations.
