2008

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

JURIES FEES AMENDMENT REGULATION 2008 (NO 1)

SL2008-29

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

 Circulated by authority of 
Simon Corbell MLA
Attorney General

OUTLINE

Section 51 of the Juries Act 1967 states that a juror is entitled to receive payment for their attendance in accordance with the prescribed scale for each day when the person so attends, whether he or she serves as a juror or not.  The prescribed scale is contained in the Juries Fees Regulation 1968. 

The 2008-09 ACT Budget has allocated increased funding to update the payments to jury members.  This initiative increases the payments made to persons attending the Supreme Court for jury service through an increase in jury payments, establishment of a flat travel allowance and provision of lunch where service extends over a lunch period.  It better aligns the payments made to jurors in the Territory with those provided in New South Wales.

The prescribed payment scale has been updated to reflect the new jury payments.  A travel allowance has been included for the first time.  Although there is funding to provide a meal for jurors who serve over a lunch period, it is unnecessary to make specific provision for the meal allowance in the regulation, as this is a service provided by the court, rather than a payment made to the jurors. 

NOTES ON CLAUSES

Clause 1	Name of regulation

States that the name of the regulation is the Juries Fees Amendment Regulation 2008 (No 1).

Clause 2	Commencement

States that the regulation commences on 1 July 2008.

Clause 3	Legislation amended

States that the regulation amends the Juries Fees Regulation 1968.

Clause 4	Schedule 1

Substitutes the new scale of payments to jurors.  The revised payments are based on the 2007-08 jury fees for New South Wales, and have been indexed and rounded for 2008-09 in accordance with the Consumer Price Index at 2.75%, as forecast in the 2007-08 ACT Budget Overview.  A flat travel allowance of $15 per day has also been introduced.