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A Review of Jury Selection Discussion Paper

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A Review of Jury Selection Discussion Paper A Review of Jury Selection Discussion Paper WP No 69 June 2010 Queensland Law Reform Commission A Review of Jury Selection Discussion Paper WP No 69 June 2010 The short citation for this Discussion Paper is QLRC WP 69. Published by the Queensland Law Reform Commission, June 2010. Copyright is retained by the Queensland Law Reform Commission. ISBN: 978 0 9805799 5 6 COMMENTS AND SUBMISSIONS You are invited to make comments and submissions on the issues and questions in this Discussion Paper. Written comments and submissions should be sent to: Email: [email protected] Facsimile: (07) 3247 9045 The Secretary Queensland Law Reform Commission PO Box 13312 George Street Post Shop Qld 4003 An appointment to make an oral submission may be made by telephoning: (07) 3247 4544 Closing date: 30 September 2010 It would be helpful if comments and submissions addressed specific proposals and questions in the Discussion Paper. PRIVACY Any personal information you provide in a submission is collected only for the purpose of undertaking this review under the Law Reform Commission Act 1968 (Qld). Unless you indicate otherwise, the Commission may refer to and disclose details of some or all of your submission in future publications for this review. Further, those publications may include an appendix listing the names of those people who have made submissions. Please indicate clearly if one or more of the following apply: • you do not want your submission or part of your submission to be referred to in a future publication; • you do not want to be identified by name if your submission is referred to in a future publication; • you do not want your name to be included in an appendix in a future publication. To the memory of Ian Davis Full-time Commission Member July 2008–May 2010 COMMISSION MEMBERS Chairperson: The Hon Justice R G Atkinson Part-time members: Mr J K Bond SC Mr B J Herd Ms R M Treston Assoc Prof White SECRETARIAT Director: Ms C E Riethmuller Assistant Director: Mrs C A Green Commission Secretary: Mrs S Pickett Mrs J A Manthey Legal Officers: Ms M T Collier Ms P L Rogers Administrative Officers: Ms K Giles Mrs A Lathouras Postal address: PO Box 13312, George Street Post Shop, Qld 4003 Telephone: (07) 3247 4544 Facsimile: (07) 3247 9045 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.qlrc.qld.gov.au Table of contents SUMMARY OF PROPOSALS AND QUESTIONS........................................................ xi CHAPTER 1 ................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................... 1 SCOPE AND STRUCTURE OF THIS REVIEW ........................................................................... 1 Issues covered by this review ............................................................................................... 1 Issues excluded from this review .......................................................................................... 2 OTHER LAW REFORM PROJECTS ............................................................................................ 3 Previous law reform projects in Queensland ........................................................................ 3 Current law reform projects................................................................................................... 9 Other law reform projects outside Queensland................................................................... 10 METHODOLOGY OF THIS REVIEW.......................................................................................... 12 This Paper........................................................................................................................... 12 Submissions and consultations........................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER 2 ................................................................................................................. 15 THE ROLE AND NATURE OF JURIES IN CRIMINAL TRIALS................................. 15 THE CENTRAL ROLE OF THE JURY IN CRIMINAL TRIALS ................................................... 15 Jurors’ perceptions of the jury system ................................................................................ 19 FREQUENCY OF CRIMINAL JURY TRIALS IN QUEENSLAND............................................... 23 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.................................................................................................... 23 CONTEMPORARY SOURCES OF THE LAW............................................................................ 24 THE IDEAL JURY ....................................................................................................................... 25 Impartiality........................................................................................................................... 25 Representativeness ............................................................................................................ 26 HOW CRIMINAL TRIALS OPERATE.......................................................................................... 31 Basic concepts .................................................................................................................... 31 Preliminary matters ............................................................................................................. 33 Empanelment of jurors ........................................................................................................ 33 Jurors’ oath.......................................................................................................................... 34 Choosing a speaker ............................................................................................................ 35 The trial begins.................................................................................................................... 35 Hearing of evidence ............................................................................................................ 36 Matters of law and procedure.............................................................................................. 38 Addresses and summing up................................................................................................ 38 Verdict and sentencing........................................................................................................ 38 CONFIDENTIALITY OF JURY DELIBERATIONS...................................................................... 40 COUNSELLING........................................................................................................................... 40 REMUNERATION OF JURORS ................................................................................................. 41 UNQUALIFIED JURORS ............................................................................................................ 41 Verdicts involving unqualified jurors.................................................................................... 41 CHAPTER 3 ................................................................................................................. 43 LIABILITY TO SERVE AS A JUROR .......................................................................... 43 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................... 43 THE CURRENT PROVISIONS ................................................................................................... 43 ii Table of Contents HISTORY OF THE QUEENSLAND PROVISIONS..................................................................... 47 The Jury Acts of 1867, 1884 and 1923 ............................................................................... 47 The Jury Act 1929 (Qld) ...................................................................................................... 48 The Jury Act 1995 (Qld) ...................................................................................................... 49 OTHER JURISDICTIONS ........................................................................................................... 51 Terminology......................................................................................................................... 51 Other Australian jurisdictions .............................................................................................. 51 New Zealand ....................................................................................................................... 53 England and Wales ............................................................................................................. 53 Scotland .............................................................................................................................. 53 Ireland ................................................................................................................................. 53 Hong Kong .......................................................................................................................... 54 CHAPTER 4 ................................................................................................................. 55 WHO SERVES ON JURIES?......................................................................................
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