Juries Act 1974

12 Challenge

(1) In proceedings for the trial of any person for an offence on indictment—

(a) that person may challenge not more than seven jurors without cause and all or any of the jurors for cause, and

(b) any challenge for cause shall be tried by the judge before whom that person is to be tried.

(2) Any party to county court proceedings to be tried by a jury shall have the same right of challenge to all or any of the jurors as he would have in the High Court.

(3) A challenge to a juror in any court shall be made after his name has been drawn by ballot (unless the court, pursuant to section 11(2) of this Act, has dispensed with balloting for him) and before he is sworn.

(4) The fact that a person summoned to serve on a jury is not qualified to serve shall be a ground of challenge for cause; but subject to that, and to the foregoing provisions of this section, nothing in this Act affects the law relating to challenge of jurors.

(5) In section 29 of the [1825 c. 50.] Juries Act 1825 (challenges to jurors by the Crown) the words " the Crown Court" shall continue to be substituted for the words " any of the courts hereinbefore mentioned " , notwithstanding the repeal by this Act of paragraph 3(2) of Schedule 4 to the [1971 c. 23.] Courts Act 1971 and of the entries relating to the said Act in Schedule 5 to the [1972 c. 71.] Criminal Justice Act 1972.

(6) Without prejudice to subsection (4) above, the right of challenge to the array, that is to say the right of challenge on the ground that the person responsible for summoning the jurors in question is biased or has acted improperly, shall continue to be unaffected by the fact that, since the coming into operation of section 31 of the Courts Act 1971 (which is replaced by this Act), the responsibility for summoning jurors for service in the Crown Court, the High Court and county courts has lain with the Lord Chancellor.