NSW District Court to resume jury trials

17/09/2021

Practice support: COVID-19

The District Court of NSW has today issued a media release announcing its plan to resume jury trials in Greater Sydney, Newcastle, Gosford and Wollongong from 25 October 2021.

Chief Judge of the District Court, Justice Derek Price AO, says the resumption of jury trials is the next step in managing a COVID-19 backlog.

“The Court has done everything possible during the lockdown to keep matters progressing, with Judges continuing to hear Judge Alone trials, sentencing hearings, local court appeals, pre-trial issues and civil trials remotely by the use of virtual courtrooms,” said Justice Price.

“I am pleased to outline the steps that will be taken to enable the return of jury trials in a way that is in the interests of the health and wellbeing of all court participants.”

The COVID-19 safety precautions to be adopted when the temporary suspension of jury trials is lifted on 25 October 2021 will be a combination of pre-existing measures from last year and new enhanced measures in response to the Delta strain, including:

• fully vaccinated jurors;

• routine rapid antigen testing;

• 4m2 capacity rule in courtrooms;

• social distancing of jurors in the courtroom;

• enlarged jury deliberation rooms and empanelment areas;

• individualised jury meals; and

• mandatory face mask wearing.

The full media statement is available here.

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