Report on Jury Service
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REPORT JURY SERVICE (LRC 107-2013) © COPYRIGHT Law Reform Commission FIRST PUBLISHED April 2013 ISSN 1393-3132 LAW REFORM COMMISSION’S ROLE The Law Reform Commission is an independent statutory body established by the Law Reform Commission Act 1975. The Commission’s principal role is to keep the law under review and to make proposals for reform, in particular by recommending the enactment of legislation to clarify and modernise the law. Since it was established, the Commission has published over 180 documents (Working Papers, Consultation Papers and Reports) containing proposals for law reform and these are all available at www.lawreform.ie. Most of these proposals have led to reforming legislation. The Commission’s law reform role is carried out primarily under a Programme of Law Reform. Its Third Programme of Law Reform 2008-2014 was prepared by the Commission following broad consultation and discussion. In accordance with the 1975 Act, it was approved by the Government in December 2007 and placed before both Houses of the Oireachtas. The Commission also works on specific matters referred to it by the Attorney General under the 1975 Act. The Commission’s Access to Legislation project makes legislation in its current state (as amended rather than as enacted) more easily accessible to the public in the form of Revised Acts, as well as providing electronically searchable indexes of amendments to legislation and important related information. The Commission provides online access to selected Revised Acts. The indexes include the Legislation Directory of primary and secondary legislation and the Classified List of Legislation in Ireland. The Classified List is a separate list of all Acts of the Oireachtas that remain in force organised under 36 major subject-matter headings; work is underway to add in-force secondary legislation to this List. i MEMBERSHIP The Law Reform Commission consists of a President, one full-time Commissioner and three part-time Commissioners. The Commissioners at present are: President: Mr. Justice John Quirke Former Judge of the High Court Full-time Commissioner: Finola Flanagan, Barrister-at-Law Part-time Commissioner: Marie Baker, Senior Counsel Part-time Commissioner: Donncha O’Connell, Lecturer in Law Part-time Commissioner: Thomas O’Malley, Barrister-at-Law ii LAW REFORM RESEARCH STAFF Director of Research: Raymond Byrne BCL, LLM (NUI), Barrister-at-Law Legal Researchers: Joseph Harrington LLB (Ling Franc) (Dub), BCL (Oxon), Barrister-at-Law Colm Kitson BCL (NUI), LLM (QUB), Barrister-at-law Kate McGovern LLB (Dub), LLM (Edin), Barrister-at-Law Roz O’Connell BA, LLB (NUI), LLM (Dub) Emma Roche-Cagney BCL (Clinical) (NUI), LLM (NUI) Denise Roche BCL (Int), Solicitor ACCESS TO LEGISLATION RESEARCH STAFF Project Manager: Alma Clissmann BA (Mod), LLB, Dip Eur Law (Bruges), Solicitor Assistant Project Manager: [Vacant at time of writing] Legal Researchers: Aileen O’Leary BCL (NUI), LLM (NUI), AITI, Solicitor Morgan Harris LLB (UKC), Barrister-at-Law iii ADMINISTRATION STAFF Head of Administration: Ciara Carberry Executive Officer: Deirdre Bell Staff Officer: Annmarie Cowley Clerical Officers: Ann Browne Joe Cooke Liam Dargan Legal Information Manager: [Vacant at time of writing] PRINCIPAL LEGAL RESEARCHERS FOR THIS REPORT Donna Lyons LLB (Dub), LLM (NYU), Attorney-at-Law Jane O’Grady BCL, LLB (NUI), LPC (College of Law) iv CONTACT DETAILS Further information can be obtained from: Head of Administration Law Reform Commission 35-39 Shelbourne Road Ballsbridge Dublin 4 Telephone: +353 1 637 7600 Fax: +353 1 637 7601 Email: [email protected] Website: www.lawreform.ie v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Commission would like to thank the following people who provided valuable assistance: Mr Brian Battelle, Courts Service Dr John Bosco Conama, Centre for Deaf Studies, Trinity College Dublin Ms Elfrieda Carroll, Sign Language Interpreting Service Mr Jerry Carroll, Bar Council of Ireland Ms Patricia Casey, County Registrar Ms Marian Chambers Higgins, County Registrar Dr Mark Coen, School of Law, Trinity College Dublin Ms Niamh Connolly, NCBI Ms Evelyn Conway, Sign Language Interpreting Services Mr John Coyle, Courts Service Ms Miriam Delahunt, Barrister-at-Law Mr Robert Eager, Solicitor Dr Claire Edwards, University College Cork Mr Michael Farrell, Senior Solicitor, Free Legal Advice Services Mr Remy Farrell, SC Dr Eilionoir Flynn, NUI Galway Ms Julianne Gillen, Deafhear Mr James Hamilton, former Director of Public Prosecutions Dr Conor Hanly, School of Law, NUI Galway Ms Gillian Harold, University College Cork Ms Liz Harrigan, Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service Ms Elizabeth Howlin, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Dr Niamh Howlin, Queen’s University Belfast Ms Geraldine Hurley, Courts Service Mr Matthias Kelly, QC, SC Mr Des Kenny, National Council for the Blind of Ireland Ms Lorraine Leeson, Centre for Deaf Studies, Trinity College Dublin Mr Brendan Lennon, DeafHear Ms Sarah Lennon, Inclusion Ireland Mr Pat McCarthy, Blind Legal Alliance Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, judge of the High Court Mr Justice Bernard McCloskey, former Chair, Northern Ireland Law Commission Mr Tony McGillicuddy, Barrister-at-Law Mr Dominic McGreahan, Irish Deaf Society Ms Lianne Meagher Reddy, Legal Research Intern, Law Reform Commission Mr Martin Moore, Jurisdictional Redesign Division, Northern Ireland Department of Justice Mr Liam Mulholland, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Mr Fintan Murphy, County Registrar Ms Úna ní Raifeartaigh, SC Ms Betty O’Leary, Barrister Ms Caroline O’Leary, Sign Language Interpreting Services Mr Charles O’Mahony, Law Faculty, NUI Galway Ms Margaret O’Neill, Courts Service Mr Michael O’Neill, Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Mr Damien Owens, Deafhear Mr Eddie Redmond, Irish Deaf Society Mr Noel Rubotham, Courts Service Ms Susan Ryan, County Registrar Mr Fintan Sheerin, Trinity College Dublin vi Mr Richard Shine, Department of Social Protection Mr Robbie Sinnott, Blind Legal Alliance Mr James Wallis, Department of Social Protection Ms Maria Walls, National Federation of Voluntary Bodies Full responsibility for this publication lies, however, with the Commission. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 A Background 1 B Scope of the Report 1 C Outline of the Report 2 CHAPTER 1 KEY PRINCIPLES OF JURY TRIAL AND JURY SERVICE 5 A Introduction 5 B Jury trial in the Constitution and background to the enactment of the Juries Act 1976 5 (1) Early History and Development of Jury Trial 6 (2) Juries Act 1927 7 (3) 1965 Reports of the Committee on Court Practice and Procedure on Juries 8 (4) 1965 Report on Jury Service in England 9 (5) de Burca v Attorney General and the Juries Act 1976 9 C The Essential Components of Jury Service and Key Principles 11 (1) Jury service as a duty 11 (2) Representative Nature of Juries: Random Selection from a Pool of Potential Jurors 12 (3) Impartial and Independent Nature of Juries 13 (4) Jury as independent fact-finder, guided by the judge on matters of law 15 (5) Juror Ability or Competence 15 (6) General Secrecy of Jury Deliberations 16 (7) Summary of Key Principles 16 CHAPTER 2 JURY SELECTION AND EXTENDING QUALIFICATION FOR JURY SERVICE 19 A Introduction 19 B Jury Selection Process in Ireland 19 (1) The register of Dáil electors as the jury source list 19 (2) The Public Services Card as a possible juror source list 21 (3) The provisions on jury selection in the Juries Act 1976 23 C Extension of Qualification for Jury Service to Persons Other than Irish Citizens 27 (1) England, Wales and Scotland 28 (2) Northern Ireland 28 (3) Australia 29 (4) New Zealand 29 (5) United States 30 (6) Consultation Paper Recommendations 30 (7) Submissions and Final Recommendations 30 CHAPTER 3 JURY CHALLENGES 35 A Introduction 35 B Challenges Without Cause Shown: Peremptory Challenges 35 (1) Current Law in Ireland 35 (2) Comparative Approaches to Challenges Without Cause 36 (3) Consultation Paper Recommendations 38 (4) Submissions, further consultation and Final Recommendations 40 C Challenges for Cause Shown 42 viii (1) Current Law in Ireland 42 (2) Comparative Approaches to Challenges for Cause 45 (3) Consultation Paper Recommendations 46 (4) Submissions, further consultation and Final Recommendations 46 CHAPTER 4 CAPACITY TO CARRY OUT THE FUNCTIONS OF A JUROR 49 A Introduction 49 B Physical Capacity 49 (1) Current Law in Ireland 49 (2) Comparative and International Law Approaches to Physical Disability 53 (3) Consultation Paper Recommendations on Physical Disabilities 56 (4) Submissions and Final Recommendations on Physical Disabilities 57 C Mental Health and Intellectual Capacity 60 (1) Current Law in Ireland 60 (2) Comparative Approaches to Mental Health and Intellectual Capacity 60 (3) Consultation Paper Recommendations 62 (4) Submissions and Final Recommendations 62 D Reading and Language Capacity 63 (1) Current Law and Practice in Ireland 63 (2) Comparative and International Approaches 65 (3) Consultation Paper Recommendations 67 (4) Submissions and Final Recommendations 67 CHAPTER 5 INELIGIBILITY, EXCUSAL AND DEFERRAL 69 A Introduction 69 B Persons Ineligible for Jury Service: President of Ireland, Persons Concerned with Administration of Justice and Members of the Defence Forces 69 (1) Current Position in Ireland 69 (2) Comparative and International Law Approaches 70 (3) Consultation Paper Recommendations 72 (4) Submissions and Final Recommendations 73 C Persons Excusable as of Right 75 (1) Current Position in Ireland 75 (2) Comparative Approaches 77 (3) Consultation