Juries Act, 1927

Preparation of panel of jurors.

34.—(1) When selecting from a jurors book from which no persons have previously been selected the persons to be entered in a panel of jurors, the empanelling officer shall do the following things in the following order, that is to say:—

(a) ascertain (so far as may be necessary for the purposes of this paragraph) in respect of each letter in the alphabet the number of names in the jurors book beginning with such letter, and place a suitable mark against the letter with which the greatest number of names begins, and against the letter with which the next greatest number of names begins, and against the letter with which the next greatest number of names begins (the said letters so marked being hereinafter referred to as marked letters and the other letters being hereinafter referred to as unmarked letters),

(b) from the names beginning with the letter A select, if it is an unmarked letter, the first name or, if it is a marked letter, the first three names, from the letter B select, if it is an unmarked letter, the first name or, if it is a marked letter, the first three names, and so on through the alphabet selecting the first name from each unmarked letter and the first three names from each marked letter,

(c) if when the end of the alphabet is reached a sufficient number of names have not been selected, repeat the foregoing process of selection, selecting the second name from each unmarked letter and the second three names from each marked letter, and so on repeating the process until a sufficient number of names have been selected,

(d) place in the jurors book a mark opposite each name so selected to indicate the fact of such selection,

(e) enter on a panel in the prescribed form the names so selected with their relevant addresses and descriptions as stated in the jurors book, arranging the names in alphabetical order as in the jurors book,

(f) complete the panel by entering the name of the court and sittings for which the panel is prepared at the top thereof and signing and dating the panel at the foot thereof,

(g) if the panel is prepared for the High Court, deliver the panel to the Master of the High Court, and if the panel is prepared for the Chief Justice or an officer of the Chief Justice, deliver the panel to the Registrar to the Chief Justice, and if the panel is prepared for the Central Criminal Court or Circuit Court by an empanelling officer who is not the registrar of such Court, deliver the panel to such registrar.

(2) When selecting from a jurors book from which persons have previously been selected the persons to be entered in a panel of jurors, the empanelling officer shall proceed as directed in the foregoing sub-section save that the marking of particular letters made under the foregoing sub-section shall be retained without alteration, and, in lieu of the first, second, or other name or three names in each letter, the first name or three names not marked as having been previously selected shall be selected from each letter and then the second name or three names not so marked shall be selected from each letter, and so on.

(3) When a panel is required by this Act to consist of names taken from two or more jurors books, the proper number of names shall be selected from each such jurors book and arranged in alphabetical order by the proper empanelling officer in accordance with whichever of the foregoing sub-sections is applicable and then the empanelling officer or the several empanelling officers in consultation (as the case may be) shall enter all the names selected from the said jurors books in one panel divided into several parts each containing the names selected from one jurors book and the panel shall then be completed and disposed of as directed in the first sub-section of this section save that, if two or more empanelling officers are concerned in the preparation of the panel, all such empanelling officers shall sign the panel.