Juries Act, 1927

Standing-by by Attorney-General.

59.—The following provisions shall have effect in every trial of a criminal issue which is tried with a jury and is prosecuted at the suit of the Attorney-General of Saorstát Eireann, that is to say:—

(a) the said Attorney-General or the counsel or solicitor representing him may at the time prescribed by this Act direct without cause shown any juror who has not been challenged to stand-by and thereupon such juror shall not then be sworn of the jury;

(b) if, before or when all the jurors whose names are entered in the panel and who are liable to be called for service in the jury have been called, a jury is obtained without including the jurors who have been directed to stand-by, such last-mentioned jurors shall leave the jury-box as soon as such jury has been so obtained and no such last-mentioned juror shall be included in such jury;

(c) if, after all the jurors whose names are entered in the panel and who are liable to be called for service in the jury have been called, a jury is not obtained, a sufficient number of the jurors who were so directed to stand-by and are not successfully challenged under the subsequent provisions of this section, shall be sworn and included in the jury in the order in which the cards containing their names were drawn from the box;

(d) the said Attorney-General or the counsel or solicitor representing him may challenge for cause shown any juror who, having been directed to stand-by, is called to be sworn under the foregoing paragraph;

(e) whenever a juror is challenged under the foregoing paragraph the cause shall be shown immediately upon the challenge being made and the Judge shall then allow or disallow the challenge as he shall think proper and such allowance or disallowance shall be final and conclusive;

(f) if any such challenge is so allowed, the juror so challenged shall forthwith leave the jury-box and shall not be included in the jury.