Jury Service Frequently asked questions

Jury Service

Frequently asked questions

How was I selected for jury service?

Every person over the age of 18 who is enrolled

to vote, from all sections of the community, has

an equal chance of being called upon to

undertake jury service.

Potential jurors are randomly selected from the

Victorian Electoral Roll. A number of random

processes are used throughout the jury selection

process in order to produce a representative

cross-section of the community.

Am I required to attend on the first day of the

jury service period indicated on my Jury

Eligibility Form?

No. At this stage you are simply notifying Juries

Victoria of your eligibility and availability to attend

for jury service on a date within the period

specified. If you are eligible, you will be sent a

jury summons for a particular date within the

specified period.

What is a jury summons?

The jury summons is an important legal

document issued by Juries Victoria requiring you

to attend for jury service on a particular date. The

summons contains information to assist you and

instructions which you must follow. The

summons must be read carefully and brought

with you when you attend for jury service.

What if I am unable to attend?

If you have a valid reason why you cannot

attend, you may apply to be deferred to a more

convenient time. You may also have a valid

reason to be excused. These include:

 advanced age

 ill health or disability

 reside 50km from the Melbourne court,

or 60km from the regional court listed on

your summons

 self-employed

 primary carer of children or other family

members during business hours

 casual employee with unpredictable

hours

 full time student or apprentice

 work for a small business

Requests for deferral or excuse must be received

in Melbourne, by 10am the business day prior to

the date on your summons and in regional

courts, two business days prior. See your

summons for further details.

You remain liable for jury service until you have

received confirmation from the relevant court that

you have been excused or deferred to another

period. Making a false or misleading statement to

avoid jury service, or for any other person to

require you to do so, is an offence and is subject

to prosecution.

Is my jury service subject to deferral or

cancellation by Juries Victoria?

Yes. You must check to see if you are required to

attend because your date is subject to deferral or

cancellation by Juries Victoria. For instructions

on how to check if you are required, please refer

to your jury summons. If your jury service is

deferred by our office, you may be resummoned

within the following 6-8 weeks.

What are the hours of attendance?

On the first day, you must be at court by the time

stated on your jury summons and you may be

required to stay until 4.30pm.

Empanelled jurors are usually required each

week day between 10am and 4:15pm.

Hours and days of attendance may vary at the

direction of the judge.

How long will I be needed?

If selected for a trial, you must attend each day

until the trial is completed. The trial will begin

immediately. The average length of a trial is 7-10

business days in Melbourne and 5-7 business

days in regional courts.

What should I wear?

There is no dress code for jury service, although

it is suggested you wear something “neat and

casual” and in keeping with the general business

environment.

What should I bring if I am required to

attend?

As well as your jury summons and photo ID, you

may also bring things to keep you occupied while

in the jury pool room (such as a book, tablet or

laptop). In Melbourne, lockers are supplied.

All courts have airport-style security screening,

and items deemed dangerous or potentially

Jury Service

Frequently asked questions

dangerous will be confiscated. A good rule of

thumb is that if you wouldn’t be able to take an

item on a plane, you won’t be able to bring it to

court.

Is there parking available?

There is no free parking available for jurors

attending the Melbourne law courts and parking

fees will not be paid. You are strongly

encouraged to use public transport. The nearest

railway station to Juries Victoria in Melbourne is

Flagstaff station.

Parking is available in the vicinity of most

regional courts, although it is advisable to

telephone the court to enquire prior to your

attendance.

Is there a travel allowance?

Jurors for Melbourne courts are not reimbursed

for travel costs.

Jurors summoned to a regional court who need

to travel more than 8km to the court are issued a

travel allowance. Mileage is paid for each

kilometre over the first 8km and is only paid one

way.

Is lunch provided?

Lunch is not provided. You are permitted to leave

the building at lunch time or bring lunch in with

you on the day. The only exception to this is

jurors who are in the process of deliberating over

a verdict are provided with lunch.

Refreshments such as tea, coffee and biscuits

are available in the jury pool room throughout the

day. Fridges and microwaves are available in the

jury pool area for those wishing to bring their

lunch. Please note, however, you will not be able

to bring cutlery or glass containers through the

security screening.

Will I be able to go home each night?

Empanelled jurors are able to go home at night.

The only exception is when a judge decides the

jury must be kept together during the deliberation

process — that is, while reaching a verdict. This

occurs very rarely, however if required, you will

be given plenty of notice and provided with

overnight accommodation.

Will I be paid for jury service?

You will be paid $40 per day for the first six days

of jury service and $80 per day thereafter.

The Juries Act 2000 (Vic) requires your employer

to pay the difference between the amount you

receive for jury service and the amount you could

reasonably expect to have received if you had

not attended for jury service. This applies to

permanent and part-time employees and casual

employees with predictable hours. This does not

include independent contractors.

In Victoria, the makeup pay provision of the Act

supersedes s112 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)

and all Enterprise Bargaining Agreements or

workplace contracts. An employer is required to

continue to make up the pay of an employee for

as long as their employee is completing jury

service. Payment is made on completion of jury

service and a certificate of attendance is

provided.

Can jury service prejudice my employment?

The law protects people who attend for jury

service and your employer cannot threaten,

prejudice or terminate your employment for being

absent from work because of jury service.

How often can I be called for jury service?

Some people are called for jury service more

than once and others are never called, it is a

completely random process.

Those who attend for jury service but do not

serve as a juror on a trial are exempt from further

selection for two years. Those who serve on a

trial are exempt for three years or longer if the

judge so directs.

Is there de-briefing available if I am selected

for a trial?

After being discharged from jury service, if you

find you are having difficulty in coping with the

experience of the trial, you can contact the Juror

Support Program in confidence, to access

debriefing.

You will speak with a trained counsellor or

qualified psychologist, who are available to

speak over the telephone or in person, free of

charge.