Juries Act 1957 (W.A.)(C.K.I.) (Amendment) Ordinance 1996

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Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands

__________

Juries Act 1957 (W.A.)(C.K.I)
(Amendment) Ordinance 1996

No. 7 of 1996

I, The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, make the following Ordinance under the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955.

Dated 6 November 1996.

 

 WILLIAM DEANE

 Governor-General

By His Excellency’s Command,

 

 

WARWICK SMITH

Minister for Sport, Territories and Local Government

__________

An Ordinance to amend the Juries Act 1957 (W.A.)(C.K.I.)

1.   Short title

1.1   This Ordinance may be cited as the Juries Act 1957 (W.A.)(C.K.I) (Amendment) Ordinance 1996.1

[NOTE:     This Ordinance commences on gazettal: see Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955, s. 12 (2).]

2.    Amendment

2.1   The Juries Act 1957 (W.A.)(C.K.I) is amended as set out in this Ordinance.

3.    Section 3 (Interpretation)

3.1   Definition of “Assembly district”:

Omit the definition.

3.2   Definition of “jury district”:

Omit the definition.

3.3   Definition of “police officer”:

Omit the definition.

3.4   Insert the following definition:

 ‘CEO’ means the chief executive officer of the local government for the district of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands within the meaning of the Local Government Act 1995 (W.A.)(C.K.I.);”.

4.    Section 4 (Liability to serve as juror)

4.1   Omit the section, substitute:

Liability to serve as juror

 4. A person is liable to serve as a juror at trials in the Territory if the person is enrolled, under the Local Government Act 1995 (W.A.)(C.K.I.), to vote at elections for the district of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

[NOTE:  Sections 4.29 and 4.30 of the Local Government Act 1995 (W.A.)(C.K.I.) set out the conditions that must be satisfied for a person to be eligible to be enrolled to vote at elections for the district of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.]”.

5.    Part III (Jury Districts)

5.1   Omit the Part, substitute:

PART 3—THE JURY DISTRICT

Constitution of the Territory as the jury district

 9. The jury district is the Territory.”.

6.    Section 14 (CEO to prepare jury lists)

6.1   Subsection 14 (1) to (4) (inclusive):

Omit the subsections, substitute:

 (1) Before 30 April in each year the CEO must give the Sheriff a list of all the persons to whom section 4 applies.

 (2) Subject to section 5, the list given under subsection (1) is the jury list for the jury district for the period that begins on 1 May of the year to which the list applies and ends on 30 April of the following year.”.

7.    New section 14A

7.1   After section 14, insert:

Transitional provisions for the preparation of Jurors’ Books

 14A. (1) Within 2 months after the commencement of this section, the CEO must give the Sheriff a list of all the persons who:

 (a) are liable, under section 4, to serve as jurors at trials in the Territory; and

 (b) are not persons described in section 5.

 (2) Within 14 days of receiving the list, the Sheriff must send it to the jury officer of the Territory.

 (3) The list, when all the names in it are numbered in regular arithmetical series, is the Jurors’ Book for the Territory until a new Jurors’ Book has been prepared in accordance with section 14.

 (4) The jury officer must keep the Jurors’ Book with the records of the office of the jury officer for use whenever required under this Act.”.

8.   Section 15 (Electoral Commissioner to prepare jury lists for new districts)

8.1   Omit the section.

9.    Section 17 (Duty of police)

9.1   Omit “Electoral Commissioner”, substitute “CEO”.

10.    Section 30 (Rights of parties to inspect panels for criminal trials)

10.1   Omit the section, substitute:

Inspection of jury panels for criminal trials

 30. (1) Except by leave of a Judge of the Supreme Court, the summoning officer must not permit a person to inspect the panel of jurors for a criminal trial or to inspect or obtain a copy of the panel before the day fixed for the trial.

 (2) Counsel for the Crown, counsel or the solicitor for the accused person, and the accused person, may inspect or obtain from the Sheriff, on the day fixed for a criminal trial, a copy of the panel of jurors for the trial.”.

11.    Section 34A (Claims for exemption and adjustment of Jurors’ Books)

11.1   Subsection 34A (2a):

Omit “Electoral Commissioner” (twice occurring), substitute “CEO”.

12.    Section 53 (Neglect by officials to perform duties)

12.1   Omit “Electoral Commissioner,”, substitute “CEO,”.

13.    Second Schedule

13.1   Part I, clause 2:

Add at the end:

     “; (o) Administrator, Acting Administrator or Deputy of the Administrator of the Territory;

 (p) Official Secretary to the Administrator.”.

 

NOTE

1. Notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 13 November 1996.

Overview

The Juries Act 1957 (W.A.)(C.K.I) (Amendment) Ordinance 1996 was enacted by the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting on the advice of the Federal Executive Council, under the authority of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955. This legislation aimed to address specific gaps and outdated provisions within the original Juries Act 1957 (W.A.)(C.K.I). By modernising the act, it sought to streamline the administration of jury services in the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, ensuring that the process aligns with contemporary governance structures and local government frameworks. The policy objective of this amendment was to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of jury selection processes within the Territory, reflecting the evolving needs and administrative capabilities of the local government. The enacting body, the Governor-General, introduced this ordinance to refine and update the Juries Act 1957 (W.A.)(C.K.I) by incorporating changes that better integrate with the local government legislative environment, specifically aligning with the Local Government Act 1995 (W.A.)(C.K.I). This amendment ensures that the selection of jurors is based on the most current electoral roll and managed by the appropriate local government authority, the chief executive officer of the local government for the district of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

Scope and Application

The Juries Act 1957 (W.A.)(C.K.I) (Amendment) Ordinance 1996 amends the Juries Act 1957 (W.A.)(C.K.I.) to update the legislation governing jury service in the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The Act applies to individuals who are enrolled to vote at elections for the district of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands under the Local Government Act 1995 (W.A.)(C.K.I.), making them liable to serve as jurors at trials within the Territory. The Act sets out the constitution of the jury district as the entirety of the Territory and mandates the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the local government for the district to prepare and submit jury lists to the Sheriff. Transitional provisions are included for the preparation of Jurors’ Books. The Act applies exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands and does not specify any exclusions or exemptions beyond the stipulated eligibility conditions for jury service. Subordinate instruments may extend or restrict the application of this Act, but such provisions are not outlined within the text.

Key Provisions

The Juries Act 1957 (W.A.)(C.K.I) (Amendment) Ordinance 1996 makes several key amendments to the Juries Act 1957 (W.A.)(C.K.I). Most notably, it removes definitions previously provided for terms such as "assembly district", "jury district", and "police officer" (sections 3.1 to 3.3), and instead inserts a new definition for "CEO" as the chief executive officer of the local government for the district of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands under the Local Government Act 1995 (W.A.)(C.K.I.) (section 3.4). It also replaces the section on liability to serve as a juror (section 4), stating that any person enrolled to vote in the district of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands is liable to serve as a juror (section 4.1). The ordinance further redefines the jury district as the entire Territory (section 9), and imposes on the CEO the duty to prepare jury lists (section 14). Transitional provisions are also introduced for the preparation of Jurors’ Books (section 14A). The amendments impose specific obligations on the CEO, requiring them to provide the Sheriff with lists of eligible jurors before 30 April each year, and to ensure that these lists form the basis of the jury list for the following year (section 14). The CEO is also tasked with providing a list of all persons liable to serve as jurors who are not excluded from doing so, which the Sheriff must then send to the jury officer of the Territory (section 14A). The CEO’s duties replace those previously assigned to the Electoral Commissioner in various sections of the Act (sections 17, 30, 34A, and 53). The Ordinance does not explicitly outline offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences for breaches of its provisions. However, neglect by officials to perform their duties under the Act could potentially result in legal repercussions, although the specific consequences are not detailed within the text of this Ordinance. The Act generally adheres to the legal framework provided by the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Act 1955, which may offer further guidance on enforcement and penalties for non-compliance.

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