SUPPLEMENTARY JURY LIST

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29335, 14 October 1960, Page 12

SUPPLEMENTARY JURY LIST

Sheriff Doubtful Of Legality A supplementary jury list containing the names of the 11 women inadvertently omitted by the police from the Christchurch jury roll was delivered to the Sheriff of the Supreme Court (Mr J. W. L. Gerken) yesterday. He still had to decide whether he could legally accept the supplementary list under existing legislation, said Mr Gerken. The supplementary list was compiled by the police and handed to the jury officer (Mr O T. Grattan) on Wednesday. A meeting of the Justices of the Peace who revised the main Christchurch jury roll last Friday was called yesterday afternoon, and the Justices approved the supplementary list which was then forwarded to the sheriff.

The supplementary list contains the names of the 10 women who applied for jury service this year but who were found to have been omitted, and of Mrs Helen Garrett, who served on two juries last year but whose name, unknown to her, had not gone forward into this year’s roll.“Having been given the supplementary list, revised and allowed by the Justices, I am doubtful whether I have the power to accept it,” said Mr Gerken. He Said he would inquire immediately whether he could legally accept the nam?s for inclusion on the roll.

“If I can find 1 have the power to accept them I will be pleased to do so, because I feel the names of these women should have been on the original list. I will certainly do everything in my power to have these women added, but the question of legality arises. “It may be that if a woman on the supplementary list is drawn on a jury the right of my having balloted them may be challenged.” Mr Gerken said.