Full Breakdown
Rising Jury-Service Non-Attendance Threatens Representativeness in New Zealand
8/14/2026, 4:53:20 AM
Core Event: Record Non-Response to Jury Summons
Each year more than 200,000 New Zealanders receive a jury-service letter. In 2025, 31.5 % of those summoned neither responded nor appeared in court—the highest share in five years. The rate was 31.3 % in 2023 and only 13 % in 2019, before the pandemic. The Juries Act 1981 allows a fine of up to $1,000 for non-attendance, but the Ministry of Justice reports that no fines have been collected in the past five years; only two fines were issued in 2019.
Background & Context
A defendant facing a crime carrying a sentence of more than two years may elect a jury trial. The government began a 2024 consultation on reforms intended to speed up trials, including raising the threshold of offences that permit a jury and altering when a defendant may choose a jury. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith noted that active jury trials rose from 2,000 in 2018 to 3,400 in 2023, while average case duration lengthened from 349 days to 498 days. In February 2024 the age-based automatic excusal was raised from 65 to 72 years after a member’s bill by National MP Carl Bates passed into law.
Data & Statistics
- Summons volume: >200,000 annually.
- Non-attendance: 31.5 % in 2025; 31.3 % in 2023; 13 % in 2019.
- Juror remuneration: $31 per half-day (no increase since 2004).
- Child-care allowance: $80 per day for parents, $40 if a whanau member cares.
Official Statements & Responses
The Ministry of Justice encourages deferral rather than outright excusal, offering a 12-month deferment window for most requests.
Why It Matters / Impact
High non-attendance undermines the principle that a defendant’s fate should be decided by a cross-section of the community. When remuneration fails to cover ordinary wages, lower-income workers and caregivers are disproportionately excluded, skewing juries toward more affluent or flexible demographics. This lack of diversity may affect deliberations and public confidence in the justice system.
Verbatim Quotes
- “If I wasn’t in the position to take annual leave, I simply couldn’t afford to be part of the jury process,” — Taylor
- “The pool doesn’t look Maori, it doesn’t have people with disabilities, it doesn’t have takatapui and rainbow people,” — Ruth Money, chief victims adviser to the government
What’s Next
No specific legislative timetable has been set, and any changes to juror remuneration or eligibility would require new legislation.
