Victorian Consolidated Legislation

Juries Act 2000 - SECT 8

Juries Commissioner may excuse for good reason

8. Juries Commissioner may excuse for good reason



(1) A person, or another person on their behalf, may, at any time before the
person becomes a member of a panel, apply to the Juries Commissioner for the
person to be excused from jury service for the whole or any part of the jury
service period.

(2) On an application under subsection (1), the Juries Commissioner may excuse
a person from jury service for the whole or any part of the jury service
period if satisfied that there is good reason for doing so.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (2), good reason includes any of the
following-

   (a)  illness or poor health;

   (b)  incapacity;

   (c)  the distance to travel to the place at which the person would be
        required to attend for jury service is-

   (i)  if the place is in Melbourne, over 50 kilometres; or

   (ii) if the place is outside Melbourne, over 60 kilometres;

   (d)  travel to the place at which the person would be required to attend
        for jury service would take excessive time or cause excessive
        inconvenience;

   (e)  substantial hardship to the person would result from the person
        attending for jury service;

   (f)  substantial financial hardship would result from the person attending
        for jury service;

   (g)  substantial inconvenience to the public would result from the person
        attending for jury service;

   (h)  the person has the care of dependants and alternative care during the
        person's attendance for jury service is not reasonably available for
        those dependants;

        (i)    the advanced age of the person;

   (j)  the person is a practising member of a religious society or order the
        beliefs or principles of which are incompatible with jury service;

   (k)  any other matter of special urgency or importance.

(4) In order to excuse a person under this section, the Juries Commissioner
must be satisfied-

   (a)  by evidence on oath, whether oral or by affidavit; or

   (b)  by statutory declaration; or

   (c)  if the Juries Commissioner considers it appropriate, by any other
        means.

(5) If the Juries Commissioner decides to refuse an application to be excused
from jury service, the Juries Commissioner must notify the person in respect
of whom the application was made.