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Qualification
Jury List
Jury Summons
Jury Selection
Serving on a Jury
Qualification
You are qualified to serve as a juror if you are :
- 18 or older;
- a Canadian citizen, or a permanent resident; and
- able to speak and understand an Official language.
You will be disqualified from serving jury duty if you :
- have been convicted of an offence for which you were sentenced to a term of imprisonment exceeding 1 year, and have not been subsequently granted a free pardon ; OR
- possess any physical or mental disability that is incompatible with the duties of a juror
You can be exempt from serving jury duty if you are any of the following, though may still serve if you want to:
- member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada or of the Senate or House of Commons of Canada;
- the Commissioner or member of the Legislative Assembly;
- member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police;
- judge of any court of record, territorial judge, justice of the peace or coroner;
- practicing barrister or solicitor;
- member of the clergy;
- salaried fire-fighter or active member of the fire brigade of a municipality;
- officer of the Court, including Sheriff’s officer, constable or bailiff;
- officer appointed to enforce municipal by-laws;
- officer or member of the Canadian Armed Forces;
- physician, surgeon, dental surgeon or druggist in active practice;
- nurse in active practice;
- person whose duties relate to the custody and confinement of prisoners;
- employee of the Department of Justice of the Government of the Northwest Territories or the Department of Justice of the Government of Canada.
You may be excused from jury service by applying to the Sheriff’s Office with reasons, in writing or orally, at any time before the date and time on the Jury Summons. You may be excused due to pre-arranged travel, business, sickness or undue hardship that may be experienced if you were to serve on a jury.
Jury List
A Jury list is the list of names, prepared by the Sheriff, of people who are qualified to serve as jurors. This list is compiled from the list of persons, over the age of 18 years, who are registered participants in the NWT Health Care Plan.
Once the Sheriff receives notice from the Clerk of the Court of a jury, the date and time, of jury selection, and whether the trial will be conducted in English or French, the Sheriff randomly selects a sufficient number of people from the “jury list” to form a “jury panel”
Jury Summons
The sheriff will issue a summons to each person on the jury panel. The summons will contain:
- The place, date and time at which the person summoned is required to attend for jury selection
- The maximum amount of the fine for failing to obey a summons or failing to answer to one’s name when called by the Clerk at the jury selection
- The address for the Sheriff’s office
- A notice that the person summoned may apply orally or in writing to the Sheriff to be excused from service at any time before the time indicated for appearance
- And any additional info the sheriff considers necessary
The summons will be served on a person on the jury panel, either in person by the Sheriff, or by mail. If the person is not at home, the Sheriff may leave the summons with someone in the household over the age of 16 and will consider the summons served.
You must apply orally or in writing to the Sheriff’s office to be excused from service before the time indicated for appearance on the summons.
Any person who fails to obey a summons or who fails to answer his or her name when called by the Clerk is guilty of an offence and is liable to a fine of anywhere between $25 and $200.
Jury Selection
Immediately before the beginning of each trial for which a jury is required, the Clerk of the Court will randomly select names from the jury panel one by one. If your name is called, this will be your last chance to ask the judge to be excused. You will be asked to explain why you think you should be excused from service. The judge may excuse a juror from service for a good cause, such as a conflict of interest, pre-arranged travel, business, sickness or undue hardship . Each lawyer will also have an opportunity to have each potential juror step aside (they say "challenge" or "content"). If you have been neither excused nor challenged, you will be sworn in as a juror.
Another name will be called. This will continue until a complete jury is obtained (6 people for civil case and 12 for criminal cases). These people will be sworn in as jurors, for that trial, until the verdict is given or the jury is dismissed or discharged
Serving on a Jury
Once the full jury is selected, the presiding Judge will explain the duties and responsibilities of being a juror, and instruct or direct the jury throughout the trial.
Every person who serves as a juror must keep secret the proceedings and actions of counsel and all jurors, during the trial. Any juror who divulges such secret is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine up to $500 or up to 2 months imprisonment or both.
The jury will be provided with food, drink or other reasonable comforts while considering a verdict. If the Judge directs that the jury shall not be allowed to separate, the Sheriff will provide appropriate food and lodgings
A fee of $40 shall be paid to a juror for each day the juror serves.
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