AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

JURIES ORDINANCE 1967

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

No. 47 of 1967

		This Ordinance introduces a modern law relating to juries.

		The more important provisions of the Ordinance are –

	(a)	liability of women to serve as jurors.

The Ordinance provides that each woman whose name is on the Role of Electors is, unless disqualified or exempt from serving, liable to serve as a juror.  However, a woman may give notice in writing to the Sheriff not to include her name on the jury list or to strike her name off the jury list.

	(b)	Compilation of the jury list.

The Ordinance streamlines the procedure involved in preparing the jury list by enabling the Sheriff to use the Electoral Roll.

	(c)	Majority verdicts.

The Ordinance makes provision for majority verdicts in civil trials only.  In criminal trials no alteration has been made to the requirement for unanimous verdicts.