WOMEN ON JURIES

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 141, 17 June 1922, Page 14

WOMEN ON JURIES

QUESTIONS OF EXEMPTION,

The question whether women should be compelled to sit on juries trying criminal cases was raised before a standing committee o? the House of Commons, which under the chairmanship of, Mr. J. H. Thomas, is considering the Juries Bill, a measure which the Government introduced in the House of Lords with, a view to effecting- economies in the preparation of jury lists. It is proposed by the Bill to do away with the preparation and printing of separate jury lists, and to substitute a system under which the names of persons qualified as jurors will be indicated1 in the, register of electors by means of a special mark, and the jurors' book in each county will be made up from the appropriate register. An attempt was made by Mr. C. Percy to amend the Bill in order to exempt from service on a jury women who, within twenty-four hours of receiving a summons, intimate in writing that they do not desire to serve. To compel women to serve on. juries trying criminal cases was, he said, -undesirable, and in some, instances it would be absolutely disastrous to the interests of justice. To ask women to be associated in any shape or farm with the sordid' life of the underworld1 of the country was to go beyond what should be expected of them.

Mr. Shortt (Home Secretary) replied that this was a matter about which there was considerable difference of opinion, | but he would not express any opinion on the merrfc of the amendment. He would' only say that if he accepted it, it would open up a very wide field indeed. The importance of this would not be realised by members who had not been bombarded by all sorts of classes claiming that they were entitled; to exemption, such as midwives, dentists, special constables, and others. If the amendment were accepted all these people would come forward with amendments on repc-rt stage, and ho feared it would . not be possible to get the Bill through this year. POSITION OF NUNS. Exemption for irans and women Jiving in. religious congregation was claimed by Mr. Hailwood. If certain classes of men, 6uch as clergymen, were exempted, he could', he said', see no reason why nuns should not be exempted. Living- the life they did, often shut off from the world, these ladies were totally unfitted to serve j as jurors. Mr. Shortt: "There is not the slight-; est chance of any nun being called to serve on a jury." Mr. Hailwood: "There is no doubt that nuns on certain occasions have been ,| summoned, and have had to seek special exemption." ' Mr. Shortt: "And' there is no doubt (they got it. Under the Bill ample power was given to the sheriff to exempt nuns on receiving a request from the superior of a house." '•

Mr. Grattan Doyle asked why, if there was no chance of nuns being summoned, the Home Secretary could not set the matter at rest for all time by putting it in the Bill. If for some reason a nun were dragged from the cloisters and forced to serve as a juiror, and hear a sordid and disgusting case, a public scandal would be created.

It was pointed out b-"- Mr. Shortt that all persons who professed to teach religion were not exempted. If nuns were exempted swarms of women would come forward and say that they taught religion, and devoted their lives to good works, and consequently must not be summoned. The amendment was withdrawn, andl the Bill passed through Committee.