House gives thumbs up to jury subsidy increase

Legislation aimed at increasing subsidies for persons performing jury duty was, yesterday, passed in the House of Representatives.

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, who piloted the amendments to the Jury Act, told the House that following the debate on the legislation earlier this month, the Government was withdrawing the portion of the bill covering jury tampering.

The Opposition had argued that the amendments addressing jury tampering should benefit from the input of the public.

Yesterday, Chuck said the long-awaited increase in jury subsidies should not be detained by issues surrounding jury tampering and that that discussion would go before a joint select committee of Parliament.

The House then passed the amendments covering the increase in fees to jury members, which will also allow for persons who were called to serve but not empanelled to receive the subsidy as well.

Yesterday’s development comes nearly two years after Chuck announced a 200 per cent increase in the stipend paid to Jamaicans who report for jury duty.

With the passage of the legislation, the stipend paid to jurors will be increased from $2,000 to $6,000 for each day or any part of a day that they serve on a jury.

The increase is expected to serve as incentive to Jamaicans to answer the call to serve on juries, one of the benchmarks of the country’s justice system.

The bill was passed with eight amendments and will now go to the Senate for approval.

karen.madden@gleanerjm.com