Strong support for jury duty eligibility reforms

A total of 223 responses to the consultation were submitted

A survey on who should be allowed to serve on a jury on the Isle of Man has shown strong support for reforms.

The Jury Eligibility Criteria Consultation gathered feedback on the Jury Act 1980 after a Tynwald select committee called for its criteria to be modernised.

The questionnaire, which received 223 responses, saw 70% of respondents agree the case-by-case excusal system used in England and Wales would be "more appropriate" than the current blanket exemptions list.

The Cabinet Office said the results would be "used to inform" any criteria changes, subject to approval by the Council of Ministers and Tynwald before the end of 2025.

Under the island's legal system, any defendant in a criminal case heard by the higher court has the right to be tried by a jury of their peers.

When introduced, the act allowed female jurors for the first time, and expanded the age range to between 18 and 65 years old.

It also outlined several professions which became automatically exempt from serving, including politicians, members of the clergy, medical practitioners, and members of the judiciary.

'Integrity and impartiality'

The consultation response document indicated many people "found the system to be outdated and overly restrictive, limiting the pool of potential jurors".

In the responses received there was strong support for maintaining automatic exemptions for members of the judiciary, and 52% agreed members of Tynwald should also not be called up to serve.

However, a majority of respondents felt other professions, including members of the clergy, teachers, medical practitioners, journalists, and emergency service personnel, should not be automatically exempt.

A spokesman for the Cabinet Office said it was likely such groups would be removed from the exemptions list in future.

Individuals would, however, still be able to apply to be excused if being absent from work meant "substantial" financial losses or a "front line service provider" would suffer.

Almost 80% of respondents agreed that an existing ruling that those in exempt professions maintain that status for a 10-year period after they have left that career should be scrapped.

The response report also said automatic exemptions for mental disorders and disabilities were at odds "with the spirit of Equality Act 2017" and were set to be replaced with individual assessments.

But the report acknowledged concerns raised about the administrative challenges and potential disruptions to front line services posed by the overhaul.

However, it suggested "the overall sentiment" from those who shared their thoughts was that reform was "necessary to ensure the integrity and impartiality of the jury system on the Isle of Man".