How is the jury pool chosen?

Would you please investigate and dispel the myth that being listed as a registered elector does not automatically put one on the jury pool list? Those already in the jury pool are seemingly there for other reasons and often get called upon again and again, while many longtime voters have never been called.

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Auntie’s answer: Despite what it may seem, it really is true that the jury pool is selected from the register of voters. The Judicial Administration website explains that the “Court Bailiff selects the jury list from the latest register of voters. The Clerk of Courts selects the panel of jurors from the jury list. A new panel is selected for each session of the courts, and it excludes anyone who has served on any of the last six panels. This is a random procedure designed to ensure impartiality and an even distribution of the duties to as many citizens as possible”.

But just to be absolutely sure, I contacted the Judicial Administration. An official there confirmed that jurors are only selected from the electoral roll and that “the names are randomly selected using our computerised software”.

You can’t really argue with technology, though, having said that, not everyone is convinced that there is not something else tipping the scales when it comes to choosing jurors. Others have noticed that it seems some people get chosen more than they randomly should. And, conversely, even a source at the courts said they knew many people who have been on the electoral roll for decades and have never been called on to be a juror.

I will not be able to offer you a concrete judgement, as it were, on your question. The selection system is set up to be random and source its jurors from only one place. Anecdotal evidence says otherwise, but the nature of that information prevents it from being definitive proof of anything.

I guess the jury is still out on this issue.

Tags: Jury pool

Category: Ask Auntie