Age Limit For Jury Duty Under Review

The Justice Minister, David Ford, will be investigating the public opinion on the upper age limit for jury duty in the UK. The current age limit is 70; the validity of this will be reviewed after 30 years of being in place.

According to a report in the Belfast Telegraph, the ban that prevents people over the age of 70 from serving on a jury should be reviewed for various reasons. One of these is that being over 70 today does not mean the same thing it did 30 years ago.

Mr Ford said: "With people living increasingly longer and healthier lives I think the time is right to consider if we ought to change the age limit or, indeed, to abolish it altogether. I am not making any particular proposals at this stage, but I am very keen to hear the public's views."

To determine what the view of the public is on this, there will be a consultation exercise running for 12 weeks.

The Republic of Ireland and Scotland have already scrapped the upper age limit on jury duty, after a consultation to determine the public opinion. This is probably a good thing in the light of creating a more inclusive society in a world where increasing numbers of people are getting older and live longer.

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