Supreme Court Jury Safety Plan
The Supreme Court of the Northern Territory has created a Jury Safety Plan outlining measures put in place in light of the COVID-19 situation.
- JURY PANEL ATTENDANCE AND THE MUSTER ROOM
- JURY ROOMS
- Hand sanitiser will be available in all jury deliberation rooms.
- All jugs and glasses have been removed from the jury deliberation rooms and replaced by disposable cups and bottled water.
- Jury deliberation rooms including bathrooms will be cleaned twice a day – once during the luncheon break when all jurors will be asked to leave for that purpose and again at the end of the day.
- Plastic gloves will be provided in jury deliberation rooms for handling of exhibits.
- Jurors will only be given individual meals with no shared platters.
- JURY MOVEMENT
1.1 Sheriff’s Officers will be stationed at the entrance of the Courts in Darwin and Alice Springs on jury empanelment days to make a visual assessment for symptoms of attendees entering the building. (Note: this is not an expert or medical assessment.) Any panel member who is displaying symptoms will be directed to leave the Court immediately and to contact the Registry as soon as practicable thereafter for further instructions in relation to attendance for jury duty.
1.2 Cleaners will be engaged each day to clean the Registry and Sheriff’s Office counters, and the Jury Muster Rooms during breaks.
1.3 In Alice Springs, the Jury Muster will be conducted in Court 1 prior to the commencement of the regular list at 10 am so as to avoid contact with other court users.
1.4 Hand sanitiser will be available in all of the Courts and inside the Jury Muster Rooms.
1.5 The Jury Muster Rooms shall be cleaned at the end of each day.
1.6 The Jury Muster Room in Darwin is 80 m². Chairs have been removed from the Muster Room and other seating reconfigured to comply with social distancing requirements. No more than one jury panel shall be in the Jury Muster Room at any time. If a second Jury Muster is to take place it will be conducted inside Court 1, 2 or 3, depending upon availability.
2.1 If the Presiding Judge considers it necessary to provide an alternative jury deliberating room, in Darwin that will be accommodated in either the boardroom on Level 3, the Federal Circuit Court mediation suite (if available), Court 11 or the Jury Muster Room. In Alice Springs that will be accommodated in Court 2.
2.2 Jury room cleanliness and other matters
3.1 Only those jurors with a physical disability will be permitted to use lifts and all other jurors will be escorted at all times by Sheriff’s Officers.
4. JURY BOX
4.1 The Northern Territory Chief Health Officer has advised that the configuration of the jury boxes and the volume of airspace inside the court rooms is adequate for the protection of public safety.
Dated: 16 May 2022