JURORS' FEES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 49, 26 August 1938, Page 11

JURORS' FEES

IMPROVEMENT !N SCALE

An improvement is being made in the' scale of payment of jurors and wit-j nesses. This was announced by the Minister of Justice (the Hon. H. G. R. Mason) during consideration of the Department's Estimates in the House of j Representatives today. I An endeavour was made by Mr. R. A. Wright (Independent, Wellington i Suburbs) to open up a discussion on the increase in crime. When the Chairman of Committees (Mr. E. J. Howard) pointed out that this was not on the Estimates, the member countered with the point that increased financial provision was being; made for witnesses, which showed that! the Department anticipated more cases. The Minister replied that the additional amount was to enable the De-j partment to make an improvement in j the scale of payments to witnesses, while regulations were being prepared which would bring the payment to jurors up to 13s 4d per day. Mr. F. W. Schramm (Government, Auckland East) said that there should be increased fees paid to jurors. An increase should be made N so that ordinary workers should receive as much as they would if at work. At present many members of the common jury lost through not lacing at work.