§ Mr. Alex CarlileTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement regarding the banning of a deaf person from sitting on a jury at King's Lynn Crown court in January.
Mr. John M. TaylorSection 10 of the Juries Act 1974 provides that if it appears to a member of the court staff that there is doubt as to the capacity of a person who attends for jury service to serve effectively, on the grounds of physical disability, the person may be brought before a judge. The judge shall then determine whether or not the person should serve as a juror and, if not, shall discharge the summons. That procedure was followed in the case of a juror at King's Lynn. I cannot comment on the judge's decision to discharge the summons.