WOMEN ON JURIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 267, 10 November 1937, Page 6

WOMEN ON JURIES.

Those men and women who huve opposed the proposal to admit women to the privilege of serving on juries will see support for their arguments in the action of the women at Paisley, who apparently flatly refused to serve in a case of indecency. It is true that this was an unusual happening —if it had not been, wo should not have heard of it —but the sheriff on the Bench was naturally impelled to remark that feminist organisations had for long yeiirs agitated "for the very purpose of being allowed to do this sort of thing." Instances of a body of jurors refusing to hear m particular case are very rare, and if they were not the administration of justice would he gravely hampered. Probably the sheriff ret rained from compelling the unwilling jurors to serve for fear that the interests of the accused person would be prejudiced. There are in this country probably not many people who would deny the capacity of what may be 1 described as public-minded women to serve on I juries in all cases, or of the average woman to ' serve in some cases—but there can be no" picking and choosing of eases by a juror, be he man or woman. The onus is on those who advocate the adoption in New Zealand of the ! British system to convince the authorities, and ' the public, that they correctly represent the J views of the average woman. I