The Juries (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

Challenges N.I.

Challenge to the panel N.I.

13.  No challenge to the panel shall be allowed for any cause except partiality, fraud or wilful misconduct of the Juries Officer.

Challenges in civil cases N.I.

14.—(1) Where an action or issue therein is to be tried in the High Court with a jury, any challenge to the panel or to any jurors for cause shall be tried by the judge.

(2) In the High Court the plaintiff and the defendant may respectively challenge not more than six jurors without cause.

(3) If there is more than one plaintiff or defendant, the total number of challenges without cause by the plaintiffs on the one hand or by the defendants on the other shall not exceed six.

Challenges in criminal cases N.I.

15.—(1) A person arraigned on indictment may challenge—

(a) F1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) any juror or jurors for cause.

(2) The prosecution [F2 may challenge any juror or jurors] for cause.

(3) Any challenge to jurors for cause shall be tried by the judge before whom the accused is to be tried.

(4) The judge may at the request of the Crown, but not of a private prosecutor, order any juror to stand by until the panel has been gone through.

[F3 (5) In addition and without prejudice to any powers which the court may possess to order the exclusion of the public from any proceedings, the judge may order that the hearing of a challenge for cause shall be in camera or in chambers.]

F1 Art. 15(1)(a) and word repealed (1.8.2007) by Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 (c. 6), ss. 13(2), 50, 53(4)(5), Sch. 7; S.I. 2007/2045, art. 2(2)

F2 Words in art. 15(2) substituted (1.8.2007) by Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 (c. 6), ss. 13(3), 53(4); S.I. 2007/2045, art. 2(2)

F3 Art. 15(5) inserted (1.8.2007) by Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 (c. 6), ss. 13(4), 53(4); S.I. 2007/2045, art. 2(2)

Challenge for name not being on Jurors List N.I.

16.—(1) F4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) F4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(3) F4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4) If any person whose name is not contained in the Jurors List is empanelled and sworn as a juror without objection, the trial shall not be interrupted or deemed a mistrial on account of the service of that juror.

F4 Art. 16(1)-(3) repealed (1.8.2007) by Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 (c. 6), ss. 10(2), 50, 53(4)(5), Sch. 2 para. 2(3), Sch. 7; S.I. 2007/2045, art. 2(2)

Restrictions on right of challenge N.I.

17.—(1) F5 . . . Want of qualification shall not be a cause of challenge to any person whose name is on the Jurors List.

(2) No challenge shall be taken to any juror on the ground that he was not duly summoned.

(3) For the purposes of any proceedings to be had before a jury, the Jurors List from which the jurors have been empanelled shall be conclusively presumed to have been prepared in accordance with this Order.

F5 Words in art. 17(1) repealed (1.8.2007) by Justice and Security (Northern Ireland) Act 2007 (c. 6), ss. 10(2), 50, 53(4)(5), Sch. 2 para. 2(4), Sch. 7; S.I. 2007/2045, art. 2(2)