§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
What categories of people are exempt from jury service in Northern Ireland; what allowance is paid for jury service; when the allowance was last updated and on what it is based; and whether there are special arrangements for those who manage small companies and those who are self-employed. [HL2258]
§ The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)Schedules 1, 2 and 3 to the Juries (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 prescribe those persons who are exempt from jury service.
Schedlue 1 disqualifies any person who has at any time been convicted by a court in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man and sentenced to imprisonment for life or for a term of five years or more; or to be detained during Her Majesty's pleasure or during the pleasure of the Secretary of State. It also disqualifies any person who has in the past 10 years served any part of a sentence of imprisonment or detention or been detained in a young offenders centre; had passed on him or made in respect of him a suspended sentence of imprisonment or order for detention or a community service order. Persons who at any time in the past five years have been placed on probation are also disqualified.
Schedule 2 outlines those groups or persons ineligible for jury service: namely persons concerned with the administration of justice, the forces, those who suffer from mental disorder and those who are unable to understand the English language.
Schedule 3 outlines those groups or persons excusable as of right from jury service: namely Members of Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Executive, the European Parliament, public officials, members of the clergy, professions (this category includes professors, full-time teaching staff from schools, colleges and universities, medical practitioners, dentists, nurses, midwives, veterinary practitioners and pharmaceutical chemists) and persons aged between 65 and 70 years.
Jurors are entitled to claim daily travelling, meal and financial loss allowances. Each juror is supplied with a leaflet that specifies current rates. These allowances are updated annually and take into account increases in the retail prices index. The current rates were last updated on 1 August 2002 and are set out below.
There are no special arrangements for those who manage small companies and those who are self-employed but such persons are entitled to the financial loss allowance as well as travelling expenses and meals on the same basis as other jurors.
55WAA basic rate daily travelling allowance for a motor car of 25.3 pence per mile.
A meal allowance where a meal is not otherwise provided at public expense. The allowance varies according to the length of time a juror is away from home or place of business as follows:
56WA
£ Not exceeding 5 hours £2.22 Exceeding 5 hours but not exceeding 10 hours £4.51
£ Over 10 hours £9.86 The maximum amounts which may be claimed per day for financial loss are:
£ For a period not exceeding 4 hours £26.32 For a period of more than 4 hours £52.63 Where a juror serves more than 10 days, for each day after the 10th day the sum may exceed £52.63 per day but shall not exceed £105.28 per day.