Jury Act 1995

When a civil or criminal trial is about to begin, the sheriff must arrange for the attendance of a jury panel before the court.

The panel must be formed from among the persons (the relevant prospective jurors) who—

have been summoned for jury service for the relevant jury service period; and

have not, after being summoned, been excused from jury service or excluded from the list of prospective jurors because they are not qualified for jury service; and

are not currently serving on a jury.

The panel must be formed by selection from among the relevant prospective jurors in a way decided by the sheriff subject to any relevant direction issued by the Senior Judge Administrator under section 13(c).

When the panel is formed, the sheriff must give the instructions to the members of the panel necessary to ensure their attendance before the court.