The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 269 No 7208 p126
27 July 2002

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Pharmacists to lose their right to automatic exemption from jury service

Pharmacists are to lose their automatic entitlement to exemption from jury service along with certain other health care professionals.

The Government's proposals for reform in the criminal justice system mean that no one will have an absolute right to be excused from jury service. Instead, individuals will only be able to ask to be excused, or have their service deferred, if they can satisfy a new central jury summoning bureau that they are essential to the performance of important duties for the time covered by any summons.

The aim is to make all registered electors aged from 18 to 70 years and who have lived in the United Kingdom for five years or more eligible to be summoned unless they have a criminal record or mental illness.

The proposal draws on a review of the criminal court system by Sir Robin Auld, a senior Appeal Court judge, who said that no one should be excused jury service as of right. Exemption should only be available to people who can show good reason for it. Currently, practising pharmacists are excused from jury service under the Juries Act 1974 (PJ, 3 November 2001, p635).

Sir Robin said that pharmacists and members of other health professions covered by the exemption (doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and veterinary practitioners) should only be able to defer summonses for jury service or be excused when they can show that it is vital for them to be available to fulfil their professional duties for the period covered by their summons. Even then, deferral, not exemption, should be the aim.

Less than half of all people summoned for jury service actually serve. Some 38 per cent are excused, 15 per cent ignore the summons and 13 per cent are ineligible, disqualified or excused by right.

Justice for all, CM5563, HM Stationery Office, ISBN 0 10 155632 2, price: £20.75.