Juries Act 1974

Sections 1 and 9.

F1SCHEDULE 1E+W Ineligibility and Disqualification for and Excusal from Jury Service

Part I E+W Persons Ineligible

Group A E+W

The JudiciaryE+W

Holders of high judicial office within the meaning of the Appellate Jurisdiction Act M11876.

Marginal Citations

Circuit judges and Recorders.

Masters of the Supreme Court.

Registrars and assistant registrars of any court.

[F2District Judges (Magistrates’ Courts)].

Textual Amendments

F2Words in Sch. 1 Pt. I Group A substituted (31.8.2000) by 1999 c. 22, s. 78(2), Sch. 11 para. 22; S.I. 2000/1920, art. 3(a)

Justices of the peace.

The Chairman or President, the Vice-Chairman or Vice-President, and the registrar and assistant registrar of any Tribunal.

A person who has at any time been a person falling within any description specified above in this Group.

Group B E+W

Others concerned with administration of justiceE+W

Barristers and solicitors, whether or not in actual practice as such.

[F3Any person who is not a barrister or solicitor but who is an authorised advocate or authorised litigator (as defined by section 119(1) of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990) and—

(a)

any legal executive or person corresponding to a legal executive; or

(b)

any person corresponding to a barristers’ clerk or assistant clerk,

who is employed by such an authorised advocate or authorised litigator.]

Solicitors’ articled clerks.

Barristers’ clerks and their assistants.

Legal executives in the employment of solicitors.[F4Public Notaries]

The Director of Public Prosecutions and members of his staff.

Officers employed under the Lord Chancellor and concerned wholly or mainly with the day-to-day administration of the legal system or any part of it.

Officers and staff of any court, if their work is wholly or mainly concerned with the day-to-day administration of the court.

Coroners, deputy coroners and assistant coroners.

[F5Justices’ chief executives, justices’ clerks and justices’ clerks’ assistants.].

F6. . .

Active Elder Brethren of the Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond.

A shorthandwriter in any court.

[F7A court security officer within the meaning of Part IV of the Criminal Justice Act 1991.]

Governors, chaplains, medical officers and other officers of penal establishments; members of boards of visitors for penal establishments.

(“Penal establishment” for this purpose means any [F8establishment regulated by the Prison Act 1952]).

[F9Prisoner custody officers within the meaning of Part IV of the Criminal Justice Act 1991.]

[F10Custody officers within the meaning of Part I of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994]

The warden or a member of the staff of a F11. . ., probation hostel or bail hostel (within the meaning of the [F12Probation Service Act 1993]).

Probation officers and persons appointed to assist them.

Members of the Parole Board; members of local review committees established under the Criminal Justice Act M21967

[F13Members and employees of the Criminal Cases Review Commission.].

A member of any police force [F14(including a person on relevant service within paragraph (b), (c) or (d) of section 97(1) of the Police Act 1996)]; special constables; a member of any constabulary maintained under statute; a person employed in any capacity by virtue of which he has the powers and privileges of a constable.

A member of a police authority within the meaning of [F14 the Police Act 1996]; a member of any body (corporate or other) with responsibility for appointing members of a constabulary maintained under statute.

Inspectors of Constabulary appointed by Her Majesty: assistant inspectors of constabulary appointed by the Secretary of State.

[F15Civilians employed for police purposes under][F14section 15 of the Police Act 1996] ; members of the metropolitan civil staffs within the meaning of section 15 of the Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act M31967 (persons employed under the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, Inner London justices’ clerks, etc.).

  • [[F16A member of the National Criminal Intelligence Service or the National Crime Squad.

  • A member of the Service Authority for the National Criminal Intelligence Service; a member of the Service Authority for the National Crime Squad; a person employed by the Service Authority for the National Criminal Intelligence Service under section 13 of the Police Act 1997 or by the Service Authority for the National Crime Squad under section 58 of that Act.]]

A person in charge of, or employed in, any forensic science laboratory.

A person who at any time within the last ten years has been a person falling within any description specified above in this Group.

Textual Amendments

F5Words in Sch. 1 Pt. I Group B substituted (1.4.1995) by 1994 c. 29, s. 91, Sch. 8 para 28; S.I. 1995/685, arts. 4, 7(2)(d)

F6Words in Sch. 1 Pt. I Group B repealed (1.4.1995) by 1994 c. 29, s. 93, Sch 9 Pt. II; S.I. 1995/685, arts. 4 and 8(d)

F10Entry inserted (3.2.1995) by 1994 c. 33, s. 168(2), Sch. 10 para. 29; S.I. 1995/127, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 Appendix B

F11Words in Sch. 1 Pt. I group B repealed (5.2.1994) by 1993 c. 47, ss. 32, 33(2), Sch. 3 para. 5

F12Words in Sch. 1 Pt. I group B substituted (5.2.1994) by 1993 c. 47, ss. 32, 33(2), Sch. 3 para. 5

F13Entry in Sch. 1 Pt. I inserted (1.1.1997) by 1995 c. 35, s. 29(1), Sch. 2 para. 8; S.I. 1996/3149, art. 3

F14Words in Sch. 1 Pt. I Group B substituted (22.8.1995) by 1996 c. 16, ss. 103, 104, Sch.7 Pt. II para. 23

F16Entry in Sch. 1 Pt. I Group B inserted (23.7.1997) by 1997 c. 50, s. 134(1), Sch. 9 para. 27; S.I. 1997/1377, art. 4 and S.I. 1998/354, art. 2(2)(bb)

Marginal Citations

Group C E+W

The clergy, etc.E+W

A man in holy orders.

A regular minister of any religious denomination.

A vowed member of any religious order living in a monastery, convent or other religious community.

[F17Group D] E+W

Mentally disordered personsE+W

A person who suffers or has suffered from mental illness, psychopathic disorder, mental handicap or severe mental handicap and on account of that condition either—

(a)

is resident in a hospital or other similar institution; or

(b)

regularly attends for treatment by a medical practitioner.

A person for the time being in guardianship under [F18section 7 of the Mental Health Act 1983]. A person who, under [F18Part VII of that Act], has been determined by a judge to be incapable, by reason of mental disorder, of managing and administering his property and affairs. (In this Group—

(a)

mental handicap”means a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind (not amounting to severe mental handicap) which includes significant impairment of intelligence and social functioning;

(b)

severe mental handicap”means a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind which includes severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning;

(c)

other expressions are to be construed in accordance with [F18the said Act of 1983.)]

Textual Amendments

Part II E+W PERSONS DISQUALIFIED

A person who has at any time been sentenced in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man—

(a)

to imprisonment for life [F19, custody for life or to a term of imprisonment or youth custody of five years or more]: or

(b)

to be detained during Her Majesty’s pleasure, during the pleasure of the Secretary of State or during the pleasure of the Governor of Northern Ireland.

[F20A person who at any time in the last ten years has, in the United Kingdom or the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man—

(a)

served any part of a sentence of imprisonment, youth custody or detention, or

(b)

been detained in a Borstal institution; or

(c)

had passed on him or (as the case may be) made in respect of him a suspended sentence of imprisonment or order for detention; or

(d)

had made in respect of him a community service order.

A person who at any time in the last five years has, in the United Kingdom or the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, been placed on probation.]

Part III E+W PERSONS EXCUSABLE AS OF RIGHT

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

[F21General]E+W

[F21Persons more than sixty-five years of age.]

ParliamentE+W

Peers and peeresses entitled to receive writs of summons to attend the House of Lords.

Members of the House of Commons.

Officers of the House of Lords.

Officers of the House of Commons.

[F22Scottish Parliament and Scottish ExecutiveE+W

Textual Amendments

F22Entry in Sch. 1 Pt. III inserted (6.5.1999) by 1998 c.46, s. 85(1) (with s. 126(3)-(11)); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 2(2), Sch. 3

Members of the Scottish Parliament.

Members of the Scottish Executive.

Junior Scottish Ministers.]

[F23European Parliament]E+W

Textual Amendments

Representatives to the [F24European Parliament]

Textual Amendments

F24Sch. 1 Pt. III: for the reference to the European Assembly where used as a Heading and the reference to the Assembly of the European Communities there is substituted in each case retrospectively a reference to the European Parliament by virtue of European Communities (Amendment) Act 1986 (c. 58, SIF 29:5), s. 3(1)(a)(3)

[F25National Assembly for WalesE+W

Textual Amendments

F25Entry in Sch. 1 Pt. III inserted (1.2.1999) by 1998 c. 38, s. 125, Sch. 12 para.18 (with ss. 139(2), 143(2)); S.I. 1999/118, art. 2

Members of the National Assembly for Wales.

The Auditor General for Wales.]

[F26Public Officials]E+W

Textual Amendments

F26Sch. 1 Pt. III: Entry headed “Public Officials” inserted (6.5.1999) by S.I. 1999/1042, art. 3, Sch. 1 Pt. I para. 7

[F26The Auditor General for Scotland.]

The ForcesE+W

Full-time serving members of—

any of Her Majesty’s naval, military or air forces,

. . . F27

Textual Amendments

F27Words repealed (with saving) by Armed Forces Act 1981 (c. 55, SIF 7:1), s. 28(2), Sch. 5 Pt. I note

. . . F27, . . . F28.

Textual Amendments

(A person excusable under this head shall be under no obligation to attend in pursuance of a summons for jury service if his commanding officer certifies to the officer issuing the summons that it would be prejudicial to the efficiency of the service if the person were required to be absent from duty.)

Medical and other similar professionsE+W

The following, if actually practising their profession and registered (including provisionally or temporarily registered), enrolled or certified under the enactments relating to that profession—

medical practitioners,

dentists,

nurses,

midwives,

veterinary surgeons and veterinary practitioners,

pharmaceutical chemists.

[F29Members of certain religious bodiesE+W

Textual Amendments

F29Entry in Sch. 1 Pt. III inserted (3.2.1995) by 1994 c. 33, s. 42; S.I. 1995/127, art. 2(1), Sch. 1

A practising member of a religious society or order the tenets or beliefs of which are incompatible with jury service.]