Legislation Tabled to Increase Stipend for Jurors

Legislation has been tabled in the House of Representatives to facilitate the much-anticipated increase in stipends for members of the public empanelled to serve as jurors.

The amendments to the Jury Act were tabled by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Delroy Chuck, during a statement to the Lower House on Tuesday (January 13).

“The Bill before the House proposes to increase the stipend paid to jurors from $2,000 to $6,000 for each day or any part of a day that they serve on a jury. This represents a 200 per cent increase in the stipend,” he said.

“We felt it necessary to go even further than this to account for persons who are called to jury duty but who are not selected. With the proposal in the Bill, these individuals will now be paid $2,000 for each day that they appear before the court to participate in the jury selection process,” the Minister added.

Mr. Chuck emphasised that deliberations on the proposed increase recognised both the vital role of jurors in the administration of justice and the personal sacrifice involved in answering the call to serve.

He noted that while the adjustment is modest, it acknowledges the financial burden jury duty places on citizens who set aside daily responsibilities to fulfil this civic obligation.

“This Administration remains deeply appreciative of those who respond to the call for jury duty, recognising their service as a cornerstone of a fair and democratic justice system, and warmly welcomes the continued commitment to civic responsibility in the national interest,” Mr. Chuck said.

“It is our hope that the increase in the stipend paid to jurors and the introduction of a stipend for participating in the jury selection process will offset some expenses incurred by the public as they fulfil this important role,” he added.

Beyond this, Minister Chuck said the Bill also reflects a significant development in Jamaica’s jurisprudence as the Government is seeking to introduce a new legislative power for judges.

“In an instance where there is evidence of jury tampering or a real and present danger that jury tampering would take place and the interest of justice demands it, a judge may discharge the jury and order that the trial be conducted without a jury,” he stated.

Mr. Chuck said the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC), in a much-publicised case, in evaluating “our legal landscape, indicated that this is a power that is absent in our jurisdiction, but present in England and Wales”.

“The absence of this power places judges in a precarious position. This had to be remedied. We undertook a comprehensive review of other jurisdictions to determine how the Court should proceed, should evidence of jury tampering arise,” he stated.

“These proposals were circulated and ventilated with several stakeholders to ensure a robust consultative process before adopting this significant amendment. Invariably, this lengthened the time the Bill took to get before the House,” the Minister added.

Mr. Chuck said he anticipates that debate on the Bill will begin and, hopefully, conclude at the next sitting of the House.