5 Apr 2011

New bill aims to improve jurors' privacy

6:57 pm on 5 April 2011

The Government is moving to improve the privacy and safety of jurors.

Justice Minister Simon Power has introduced the Juries Amendment Bill that will remove the addresses of potential jurors from the lists provided to lawyers.

The move is in response to convicted murderer George Baker writing to a juror while representing himself in a trial.

Mr Power says serving on a jury is an important civic duty and everything must be done to make it as safe and easy as possible.

Other changes in the bill include barring people from serving on a jury if they have been sentenced to three or more months of home detention in the previous five years.