Juries Act, 1976

FIRST SCHEDULE

Persons Ineligible and Persons Excusable as of Right

Sections 7, 9, 31.

PART I

Persons Ineligible

Uachtarán na h-Éireann.

Persons concerned with administration of justice

Persons holding or who have at any time held any judicial office within the meaning of the Courts (Establishment and Constitution) Act 1961 (No. 38).

Coroners, deputy coroners and persons appointed under section 5 (2) of the Local Authorities (Officers and Employees) Act 1926 (No. 39) to fill the office of coroner temporarily.

The Attorney General and members of his staff.

The Director of Public Prosecutions and members of his staff.

Barristers and solicitors actually practising as such.

Solicitors' apprentices, solicitors' clerks and other persons employed on work of a legal character in solicitors' offices.

Officers attached to a court or to the President of the High Court and officers and other persons employed in any office attached to a court or attached to the President of the High Court.

Persons employed from time to time in any court for the purpose of taking a record of the proceedings of the court.

Members of the Garda Síochána.

Prison officers and other persons employed in any prison, Saint Patrick's Institution or any place provided under section 2 of the Prisons Act 1970 (No. 11) or in any place in which persons are kept in military custody pursuant to section 2 of the Prisons Act 1972 (No. 7) or in any place specified to be used as a prison under section 3 of the latter Act; chaplains and medical officers of, and members of visiting committees for, any such establishment or place.

Persons employed in the welfare service of the Department of Justice.

A person in charge of, or employed in, a forensic science laboratory.

Members of the Defence Forces

Every member of the Permanent Defence Force, including the Army Nursing Service.

Every member of the Reserve Defence Force during any period during which he is in receipt of pay for any service or duty as a member of the Reserve Defence Force.

Incapable persons

A person who because of insufficient capacity to read, deafness or other permanent infirmity is unfit to serve on a jury.

A person who suffers or has suffered from mental illness or mental disability and on account of that condition either—

(a) is resident in a hospital or other similar institution, or

(b) regularly attends for treatment by a medical practitioner.

PART II

Persons Excusable as of Right

Members of either House of the Oireachtas.

Members of the Council of State.

The Comptroller and Auditor General.

The Clerk of Dáil Éireann.

The Clerk of Seanad Éireann.

A person in Holy Orders.

A regular minister of any religious denomination or community.

Vowed members of any religious order living in a monastery, convent or other religious community.

The following persons if actually practising their profession and registered (including provisionally or temporarily registered), enrolled or certified under the statutory provisions relating to that profession :

Medical practitioners;

Dentists;

Nurses;

Midwives;

Veterinary surgeons;

Pharmaceutical chemists.

A member of the staff of either House of the Oireachtas on a certificate from the Clerk of that House that it would be contrary to the public interest for the member to have to serve as a juror because he performs essential and urgent services of public importance that cannot reasonably be performed by another or postponed.

Heads of Government Departments and Offices and any civil servant on a certificate from the head of his Department or Office that it would be contrary to the public interest for the civil servant to have to serve as a juror because he performs essential and urgent services of public importance that cannot reasonably be performed by another or postponed.

Any civilian employed by the Minister for Defence under section 30 (1) (g) of the Defence Act 1954 (No. 18) on a certificate from the Secretary of the Department of Defence that it would be contrary to the public interest for the civilian to have to serve as a juror because he performs essential and urgent services of public importance that cannot reasonably be performed by another or postponed.

Chief officers of local authorities for the purposes of the Local Government Act 1941 (No. 23), health boards established under the Health Act 1970 (No. 1) and harbour authorities within the meaning of the Harbours Act 1946 (No. 9) and any employee of a local authority, health board or harbour authority on a certificate from its chief officer that it would be contrary to the public interest for the employee to have to serve as a juror because he performs essential and urgent services of public importance that cannot reasonably be performed by another or postponed.

The head or principal teacher of the college of a university, of a school or other educational institution, and any professor, lecturer or member of the teaching staff of any such institution on a certificate from such head or principal teacher that the person concerned performs services in the institution that cannot reasonably be performed by another or postponed.

Whole-time students at any such educational institution as is mentioned in the preceding paragraph.

The secretary to the Commissioners of Irish Lights and any person in the employment of the Commissioners on a certificate from the secretary that the person concerned performs services for the Commissioners that cannot reasonably be performed by another or postponed.

Masters of vessels, duly licensed pilots and duly licensed aircraft commanders.

Persons aged sixty-five years or upwards and under the age of seventy years.