Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA ACT 1976 - SECT 42

             (1)  A person who has been served with a summons to attend as a juror or otherwise lawfully appointed to serve as a juror shall not:

                     (a)  fail to attend in accordance with the summons or appointment; or

                     (b)  having attended in accordance with the summons or appointment, withdraw himself or herself from the presence of the Court, without the permission of the Sheriff, before being discharged or excused by a Judge or the Sheriff.

Penalty:  $200 or imprisonment for 1 month.

          (1A)  Subsection (1) is an offence of strict liability.

Note:          For strict liability , see section 6.1 of the Criminal Code .

          (1B)  Subsection (1) does not apply if the person has a reasonable excuse.

Note:          A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subsection (1B) (see subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code ).

             (2)  A person shall not personate a juror with the intention of sitting as that person on a jury.

Penalty:  $1,000 or imprisonment for 3 months.

             (3)  A person shall not:

                     (a)  corrupt a juror;

                     (b)  except in accordance with this Act, make or promise a payment to a juror, or confer or promise to confer any other benefit on a juror, in relation to his or her service as a juror, other than a payment of the ordinary remuneration of the juror's employment; or

                     (c)  being a juror, accept such a payment or benefit.

Penalty: Imprisonment for 5 years.

             (4)  In this section, juror includes a person whose name is on a jury panel.