WOMEN JURORS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 19, 17 October 1942, Page 8

WOMEN JURORS

Provision For Voluntary Service General approval was accorded the AVomen Jurors (No. 2) Bill, which was put through all stages tlnd passed in the House last night. Moving the second reading, the Attorney-General, Mr. Mason, said it simply provided for what had been done in other countries, though not In exactly the same way. The Minister said that in England jury service was compulsory for women. He read a letter received by the High Commissioner in London, Mr. Jordan, from the Home Office, 'which stated .that .the principle that women should share jury service with men was well established and working well in Britain'. . In. New Zealand it was proposed to adopt the principle of voluntary service, and unless a woman cared to enrol for jury service she would not be called on to serve on a jury. He thought that would avoid certain inconveniences. Mrs. Dreaver (Government, Waitemata). who-had introduced a similar Bill which had been declared out of order, said that the women of New Zealand had been asking for the Bill for a long time. At a time like the present, when men were needed so badly for the forces and for the major essential industries, women could help relieve the situation by assisting with the administration of justice. The Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Holland, said the Opposition would be glad to concur in the passage of the Bill through the House. It would repair an omission in this country’s laws. Mrs. Grigg (Opposition, Mid-Canter-burv) and Mrs. Stewart (Government, Wellington West), spoke in support of the Bill.