PAYMENT OF JURORS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 498, 20 January 1920, Page 2

PAYMENT OF JURORS.

INCREASE TO 12s A DAY. New legislation was passed during last session providing for the paynt of jurors at a more generous rate than that now allowed. The present rate is 8s a day, and it hag stood since the time when 8s a day was the recognised wage for a worker. It is very much below the daily wage of any worker to-day. The legislation did not fix a definite rate, but merely empowered the Government to make regulations determining the rate of payment, and it was urged by the Minister in charge, Mr. Coates, that the advantage ff dealing with the matter in this way would be that the Government would at any time in the future be able to increase the rate if circumstances warranted, without again coming to Parliament for authority. Mr. Coates has now announced that the new regulations had been prepared, and would shortly be gazetted. The payment to common jurors, serving in any criminal or civil cases in the Supreme Court, or on any coroner's jury, is to be increased from 8s to 12s per day. Special jurors are to receive £1 for the first day of attendance, and per day for succeeding days. In addition, all jurors are to receive locomotion expenses actually incurred in attending the court, these to include railway, coach, or steamer fares. In cases where there are no public conveyances the juror is to be allowed a mileage rate of 9d per mile one way if he lives more than two miles from the town or ity in which the court sits.