Can i be called for jury duty

Posted February 13, A person who fails to attend court for jury duty is liable to a criminal penalty. So how do you know if you are liable to be a juror? Persons who cannot be jurors You cannot be a juror if: You have been found guilty or convicted of certain serious offences; You are a judicial officer, member of NSW parliament, governor, or ombudsman; or You are qualified as an Australian lawyer.

You also cannot be a juror for certain periods of time if: You are serving or have recently served a sentence of imprisonment; You are subject to certain court orders including AVOs, community correction orders and conditional release orders; You are engaged in certain occupations involving law enforcement or criminal investigation, such as the police force or any government commissions; or You have direct access to inmates as a result of your work.

Persons who may be permanently exempted from jury duty You are entitled to be permanently exempted if you: Are a member of the clergy or a vowed member of any religious order; Are practising as a dentist, pharmacist or medical practitioner; Are employed in the provision of emergency services, fire, ambulance or rescue; Have served as a juror in the preceding three years or attended court and were prepared to serve as a juror in the previous year; Have already been exempted because of previous lengthy service as a juror; or Are the full-time carer of a sick, infirm or disabled person.

This includes if: Jury duty would cause undue hardship or serious inconvenience to you, your family or the public; You have a disability making you unsuitable for jury duty; There is a conflict of interest that may create a perception of impartiality; or There is some other reason that would affect your ability to be a juror.

You can also apply for your jury duty to be deferred to a later time. Each judicial district must have a formal written plan for the selection of jurors, which provides for random selection from a fair cross-section of the community in the district, and which prohibits discrimination in the selection process. Voter records - either voter registration lists or lists of actual voters - are the required source of names for federal court juries.

Some courts supplement voter lists with other sources, such as lists of licensed drivers. A copy of a district's jury plan is available for review in the clerk's office. In addition, many courts offer excuses from service, on individual request, to designated groups of persons or occupational classes. Such groups may include persons over age 70; persons who have, within the past two years, served on a federal jury; and persons who serve as volunteer fire fighters or members of a rescue squad or ambulance crew.

While the federal courts appreciate your willingness in participating in jury service, you cannot volunteer to serve. Each judicial district must randomly select potential jurors from a fair cross-section of the community in the district, and discrimination in the selection process is prohibited. You may have been called to serve from your local federal court, or a state or other local court in your community. Unfortunately, there is not one place you can go to research the different court systems.

Find your local court using the Court Locator. Must I respond to my jury duty notice? Who may serve as a juror? We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. You can change your cookie settings at any time. If you get a jury summons in the post, you must respond within 7 days and confirm if you can attend. You can watch a video about jury service. There are different rules for jury service in Scotland and jury service in Northern Ireland.

Jury staff will contact you to confirm the days and times you need to attend. Follow the rules for:. You can read more about how coronavirus is affecting jury service. If the trial is likely to last longer than 10 days, jury staff will let you know. If the trial is shorter than 10 days, you may be asked to be a juror on other trials. Check your summons letter for the exact time.