Minister of Justice and Attorney-General A. J. Nicholson has said that the 36 jurors who turned up on Monday to serve in the four courts at the Home Circuit Court were sufficient to try the cases that were ready.

In a statement issued yesterday, the minister said the report in Tuesday’s Gleaner concerning the delay of murder trials as a result of insufficient jurors did not tell the entire story.

“While it is true that the number of jurors who had been served were far less than those for whom summonses had been issued, there were enough jurors at the Home Circuit Court yesterday for all the cases that were ready for trial to have been proceeded with, if there had been due care and some degree of sensitivity displayed by all concerned,” the minister said.

He said further that “One of the judges, Mr. Bryan Sykes, proceeded to empanel two juries, one of which was not likely to be able to begin hearing the case for which they were empanelled, at anytime on Monday. This clearly tied up a number of jurors for an entire day when their service could have been utilised in the trial of other cases”.

“In the reform of the justice system, there are certain far-reaching measures that can be implemented even while we await the modernisation plan and the further provision of funds. Unselfishness, due care and accommodation of all parties in matters before the court must become some of the foundation stones on which the modernisation process is to be built,” the minister said.

However, The Gleaner was reliably informed that while two juries were empanelled in the court presided over by Mr. Justice Sykes, one jury comprised 12 members and the other seven.

Court officials explained that even if Mr. Justice Sykes had empanelled one jury with 12 members, the other 24 jurors were not enough to start a murder case.

They said at least 26 jurors were required for empanelling in a murder case because an accused is entitled to challenge seven jurors and the prosecution is also entitled to the same seven challenges.

A lawyer said that for cases in the four criminal courts to function effectively, at least 80 jurors were required weekly for jury service.