First Previous (PART III. Jurors Lists.) Next (PART V. Procedure for Securing Attendance of Jurors in Court.)

23 1927

JURIES ACT, 1927

PART IV

Preparation of Jurors Books.

Definitions in relation to Part IV.

18. —(1) In this Part of this Act the expression “jury district” when used in relation to a jurors book means the jury district to which such jurors book relates, and the expression “jurors book” when used in relation to a jury district means the jurors book relating to such jury district, and the expression “county registrar” when used in relation to a jury district means the county registrar for the area co-terminous with or including (as the case may be) such jury district and when used in relation to a jurors book means the county registrar on whom the duty of preparing such jurors book is imposed by this Act.

(2) In this Part of this Act all references to the jurors list for a jury district shall be construed as references (as the case may require) either to the jurors list for the registration area which is co-terminous with such jury district or to so much of the jurors list for the registration area containing such jury district as relates to the portion of such area contained within such jury district.

Preparation of jurors books.

19. —(1) There shall be a jurors book for every jury district and every such jurors book shall be in the prescribed form and shall be called and known as the jurors book for the jury district to which it relates.

(2) Every jurors book shall be prepared by the county registrar of the area co-terminous with or including (as the case may be) the jury district to which the book relates.

(3) Every jurors book shall be prepared by the county registrar at and not before such time as he may think necessary to ensure that the book shall be completed in sufficient time to enable it to come into force at the time appointed for that purpose by or under this Act.

Contents of jurors books.

20. —(1) Every jurors book shall be prepared from the jurors list in force in the jury district when the jurors book is being prepared and there shall be entered in the jurors book the names of all persons whose names are entered in such jurors list.

(2) The several persons whose names are to be entered in a jurors book shall be entered therein in the alphabetical order of their surnames and, in the case of persons having the same surname, in the alphabetical order of their christian names.

(3) There shall also be entered in every jurors book after the name of each person whose name is entered therein his address and his trade, profession, calling, or description as stated in the said jurors list.

(4) When a county registrar has completed the preparation of a jurors book he shall endorse on the cover thereof the name of the jury district and shall sign immediately below the last name entered therein a certificate in the following form:—

“I certify that this jurors book for the jury district of ________________has been prepared by me on the __________day of ________________19 _____in accordance with the provisions of the Juries Act, 1927.

(Signed) __________________________

County Registrar for______________”

Commencement and duration of jurors books.

21. —(1) The several jurors books in force at the passing of this Act shall continue in force until the 31st day of August, 1927, and no longer.

(2) In every jury district the first jurors book prepared under this Act for such jury district shall come into force on the 1st day of September, 1927, and shall continue in force until it is exhausted and every subsequent jurors book for any jury district shall come into force immediately after the preceding jurors book for such jury district has become exhausted and shall itself continue in force until it becomes exhausted.

(3) When the first jurors book under this Act for any jury district is being prepared a suitable mark shall be made in such book against the name of every person entered therein whose name was included in a panel of jurors for attendance in any court on or after the 1st day of September, 1926, and before the 1st day of September, 1927, and for the purposes of the selection of panels from such book and determining when such book becomes exhausted every person against whose name such mark is made shall be deemed to have been summoned once after such book came into force to attend a court as a juror.

Exhaustion of jurors books.

22. —(1) A jurors book shall become exhausted when every person named therein whose name has not been removed therefrom under this Act has been summoned once since the book came into force to attend a court as a juror.

(2) Whenever in the preparation of a panel it is found that the number of persons named in the jurors book and qualified and liable to be included in such panel who have not been summoned to attend a court since the book came into force is not sufficient to complete the panel, all such persons shall be included in the panel and the said jurors book shall then be deemed to have become exhausted and a new jurors book shall be deemed to have come into force and the said panel shall be completed from such new jurors book.

Jurors books on subdivision or amalgamation of jury districts.

23. —(1) Whenever a jury district (in this section called the old district) is divided by order made by the Minister under this Act into two or more jury districts (in this section called new districts), a new jurors book shall be made for each such new district by transcribing from the jurors book in force in the old district at the coming into operation of such order the names, addresses, and descriptions of all persons entered in such jurors book whose addresses as stated therein are situate in such new district.

(2) Whenever any such order as is mentioned in the foregoing sub-section is revoked by the Minister under this Act, a new jurors book shall be made for the old district by transcribing into one book in the proper order the names, addresses, and descriptions of all persons whose names are entered in any jurors book in force in any of the new districts at the time of such revocation.

(3) Whenever names are transcribed under this section from a jurors book to a new jurors book, all distinguishing marks and notes entered against any such name in the first-mentioned jurors book shall be transcribed into such new jurors book along with such name, and in applying the provisions of this Act to such new jurors book due regard shall be had to all distinguishing marks and notes so transcribed thereinto.

Non-availability of new jurors book.

24. —Whenever at the time appointed by or under this Act for the coming into force of a new jurors book no such new jurors book is from any cause available, the jurors book in force immediately before such time shall continue in force until such new jurors book is available, but the names to be included in any panel shall be selected from such existing jurors book as if it were the new jurors book and all marks, notes, and removals made in such existing jurors book after the time when the new jurors book should have come into force shall be transcribed into the new jurors book when it does become available and thereupon such new jurors book shall be deemed to have come into force at the time when it ought by virtue of this Act to have been available and come into force.

Review of jurors books.

25. —(1) In every year, immediately after the coming into force of the jurors list for a jury district, the county registrar shall revise the jurors book relating to that jury district by removing therefrom the name of every person entered therein who does not appear in such jurors list as qualified and liable to serve as a juror in respect of such jury district.

(2) Whenever it comes to the knowledge of the county registrar that a person whose name is entered in the jurors list or the jurors book then in force for a jury district is dead or has ceased to be qualified and liable to serve as a juror for such jury district, the county registrar shall remove the name of such person from such jurors list or such jurors book or from both such list and such book, as the case may require.