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Notification

Supreme and District Courts - Information for jurors

If you are selected for jury duty you will receive a Notice to Prospective Juror with a Questionnaire for Prospective Juror. The questionnaire will determine your eligibility for jury service by asking you to answer a series of simple questions. Read each question carefully and answer all questions truthfully. The notice is full of relevant information you will need to know if you were to make yourself available for the service, these include:

when you will be required for jury service
how long you will be needed

When you receive a Notice to perspective juror you must complete and return the questionnaire to the court sheriff or registrar in the provided envelope, by the specified date.

If you do not complete and return the questionnaire section of the notice by the return date, you may be fined and placed in the second ballot for jury service.

The second ballot randomly selects jurors from a list of people who have not been excluded in a certain jury district to receive a Summons to a juror.

Common questions

What if the details on my questionnaire are wrong?

The details on your questionnaire are taken directly from the information held by the Electoral Commission Queensland (ECQ).

If your information is incorrect, you will need to contact ECQ at www.ecq.qld.gov.au to have the information updated.

Why do I need to complete the Notice to prospective juror?

Your questionnaire will provide the court with details about your eligibility and availability to attend jury service during the specified period.

Do I have to perform jury service?

Yes. You must perform jury service unless:

your work or study commitments make it impossible
significant medical, personal or financial obstacles exist
you have served as a juror in the past 12 months
you fall into a category that by law makes you ineligible to serve.

You must complete and return the questionnaire even if you believe that you have grounds to be excused from jury service.

Why does the court need the information in the questionnaire?

The information in the questionnaire determines your eligibility to be a juror.

The questionnaire will show whether you:

are ineligible to serve on a jury
need to apply to the court to be excused from serving.

The questionnaire collects information including your:

phone number so the court can contact you to clarify your details or advise you of information while you are performing jury service
occupation as it may incorrect on the electoral roll. If you have changed your occupation, or are presently unemployed or retired, you must ensure that your last paid occupation is stated in the questionnaire.

All information is kept strictly confidential and in accordance with the Department of Justice and Attorney-General Privacy Plan.

What happens if the addressee is overseas?

You may have permission to open another person’s mail while they are overseas and find that they have received a notice to serve jury duty.

You should not complete the questionnaire on their behalf.

You should return the notice in the enclosed envelope, attach a letter explaining that the addressee is unable to complete the questionnaire and include:

the date they left the country
how long they intend to be out of the country
their expected return date.

I have misplaced my notice or summons to be a juror – can I be sent a new one?

Yes. The sheriff’s office (in Brisbane) or your nearest Supreme or District court registry can reprint a notice, questionnaire or summons and post it to you.

I have lost the reply paid envelope that was included with my notice. Where should I send my completed questionnaire?

You should forward the questionnaire to your nearest Supreme or District courthouse. Most Magistrates courthouses are not able to process your questionnaire.

Do I need any special skills or knowledge to be a juror?

No. But you do need to be fair, impartial and willing to keep an open mind.

Juries make their decision on the evidence that they hear or see in court. They do not necessarily need to know much about the law.

Can I postpone my jury service?

No. In Queensland, you are unable to postpone or defer your jury service period. You must serve as a juror during the specified period unless you have a good reason not to.

Can I volunteer for jury service?

No. Jurors are selected randomly from the electoral roll to give everyone an equal opportunity to serve on a jury.

Last updated Thursday, September 17, 2009 13:34