New South Wales Consolidated Acts

JURY ACT 1977 - SECT 68C

68C Inquiries by juror about trial matters prohibited

(1) A juror for the trial of any criminal proceedings must not make an inquiry for the purpose of obtaining information about the accused, or any matters relevant to the trial, except in the proper exercise of his or her functions as a juror.

Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units or imprisonment for 2 years, or both.

(2) This section applies in respect of a juror from the time the juror is sworn in as a juror and until the juror, or the jury of which the juror is a member, is discharged by the court having conduct of the proceedings.

(3) This section does not prohibit a juror:

(a) from making an inquiry of the court, or of another member of the jury, in the proper exercise of his or her functions as a juror, or

(b) from making an inquiry authorised by the court.

(4) Anything done by a juror in contravention of a direction given to the jury by the judge in the criminal proceedings is not a proper exercise by the juror of his or her functions as a juror.

(5) For the purpose of this section, "making an inquiry" includes the following:

(a) asking a question of any person,

(b) conducting any research, for example, by searching an electronic database for information (such as by using the Internet),

(c) viewing or inspecting any place or object,

(d) conducting an experiment,

(e) causing someone else to make an inquiry.