Submission Made to Increase Stipend Paid to Jurors

Efforts are being made to increase the stipend that is paid to jurors in a bid to encourage more persons to serve.

Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, informed that a submission has been made to the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service to deal with the matter.

“The proposal is to more than double what is paid now for those who serve, who are actually empanelled, and you pay them per day,” Mr. Chuck said.

“Especially in the rural areas, to summon a juror, he has to pay $1,000 to come to court, buy lunch and then go back. It costs him and he may be a farmer, he may be self-employed; it is very costly to him. So, we put in a submission, which we hope to take to the Cabinet soon, where once you are summoned to court and your name is called on the day, you should be reimbursed for that day,” he added.

The Minister was speaking at the Standing Finance Committee meeting held at Gordon House on March 5.

He further noted that the actual amount of the increase will be decided by the Cabinet.

“Why it has taken so long is that the Minister of Finance wanted to check how many jurors come in [from] all the different parishes. We are hoping that within another few weeks, [this] will happen,” Mr. Chuck said.

Jurors now receive a stipend of $2,000 per day, after moving up from $500 in 2015.

They are chosen by using the voters’ list.

Mr. Chuck said that many of the so-called upper class/middle class, while on the voters’ list, have moved.

“A lot of them have moved, so when they go to serve someone, they are not there. The truth of the matter is that it is easier to serve in the inner city, in the rural areas, than to serve in apartment buildings,” he said.

“So, the real question we ask is what is a more appropriate way to serve summons, so we can get a wide cross-section [of persons],” he added.

The Minster said he will be going to Parliament to establish a Joint Select Committee to look at the Jury Act, “to see how we can widen it, and probably to assess the Chief Justice’s position that you should have bench trials”.

“So, within the next three to six months, I am hoping to come to Parliament, set up a Joint Select Committee and let everybody come and make their presentation in terms of the Jury Act, whether we should open it wide, so that doctors and teachers can serve. I do not believe that lawyers should serve,” Mr. Chuck said.