The Ministry of Justice has made a proposal to increase the stipend given to jurors to boost juror turnout.

Reports from the Court Administrative Division (CAD) are that Jamaica has been experiencing a low juror turnout since the pandemic.

Senator Donna Scott-Mottley, opposition spokesperson on information and justice, had stated that the reason for this was the stipend given to those who serve as jurors and demanded an increase.

While speaking at a judiciary forum last week, Tricia Cameron-Anglin, director of the CAD, agreed that the stipend for jurors is really low.

“We have had to assist many of them, especially in the rural areas getting to court and actually getting them back home. So this is something we have put, as a court administration division to the powers that be, and they have responded favourably to the reports and to the submissions we have made for an increase in the juror stipend,” said Cameron-Anglin.

Jurors currently receive a stipend of J$2,000 per day, up from $500 per day in 2015. Prior to 2015, the last time the juror stipend was increase was 1998.

“We have made representation and I can report that the minister of justice and the national council on justice have been looking carefully and keenly at the stipend provided for jurors and very soon we will hear in Parliament, in Cabinet, a decision on the increase in the juror stipend,” shared Cameron-Anglin.

She added that there has also been an issue locating jurors to serve because of a change in address. The pandemic was listed as one of the main reasons for this issue and work is being done to have the matter resolved, said the CAD director.

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