PAYMENT OF JURORS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 92, 13 January 1920, Page 4

PAYMENT OF JURORS

r INCREASE TO 12s. A DAY. 1 New legislation was passed during Tnst 1 session providing for the payment of ' I jurors at a more generous rate than that 1 now allowed. The present rate is Bs. a day, and .it has stood since tho timo ■ when Bs. a day was (ho recognised wage t for a worker. It is very much below ; ■ the daily wage of any worker to-day. I 1 'i'ho legislation did not lis a definite . rate, but merely empoweied the CovernI ment to make regulations determining | the rate of payment, and it wns urged by ' | tho .Minister in charge (Mr. Coal eg) that tho advantage of dealing with the mat- ' I tcr in this way would be that the Gov--1 eminent would at any time in the future be able (0 increase the rate if 1 circumstances warranted, without again coming to Parliament for authority. ■ j Mr. Conies announced yesterday that i the now regulations had been prepared, [ and would shortly bs gazetted. The pay- ; ment to common jurors, Boning in any ■ | criminal or civil cases in the Supremo Court, or 011 any coroner's jury, is lo be ! increased from Bs. to IL's. "per day. 1 Special jurors arc to receive 4:1 for the 1 i first day of attendance, and 12s. per day j for succeeding days'. In addition, all jurors are to receive locomotion ox- [ penses actually incurred in attending the i court, these to include railway, coacl*, or | steamer fares. 111 cases where there are I no public conveyances the. juror is to j be allowed a milage rate of 9d. per mile ■ 0110 way if he lives more than two miles from Ihe town or city in which the court | sits.