The practice of trial by jury has a long history in Hong Kong. Like most jurisdictions with jury trial, this tradition was introduced into Hong Kong when it became a British colony. The Ordinance for the Regulation of Jurors and Juries was first enacted in 1845. Ever since then, the practice of trial by jury has been important part of Hong Kong’s judicial system. This is also recognised in the Basic Law, Article 86:
| “ | The principle of trial by jury previously practised in Hong Kong shall be maintained. | ” |
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Section 4 of the Jury Ordinance provides the criteria for service as a juror.[1]
The Jury Ordinance also places a legal duty for those who are qualified under the prescribed criteria to serve as jurors. Those who fail to serve as jurors in a court proceeding without approval may face charges of contempt of court. In 2007, a juror was found guilty of contempt of court and sent to jail for three weeks for faking incapacity.[2] In addition, under Section 32 of the Jury Ordinance, it is an offence for those who fail to attend in response to a summons to juror[3]
In order to protect jurors from unfavourable employment consequences, Section 33 of the Jury Ordinance criminalises and forbids employers from discriminating against any of their employees who has served or is serving as juror in any court proceedings. Any person who contravenes Section 33 is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of $25,000 and to imprisonment for 3 months.[4]
Anyone in any one of the following categories is exempt from serving as a juror.[5]
The precise list of exemption categories is provided in Section 5 of the Jury Ordinance.
Once selected to serve as a member of the jury in a case, the juror will receive a payment in accordance with Section 31 of the Jury Ordinance for each day during the whole or part of which the juror serves.[6]
Each alternate year, following the details in the Jury Ordinance, the Registrar of the High Court makes a provisional list of jurors and inform them that they have been selected and asked to serve as jurors. If any of the potential jurors want to be excused from serving and have good reasons for that, they should contact and apply for exemption with the Registrar within two weeks from the time when they receive the notice of service. Moreover, the Registrar publishes the list of jurors in the Gazette and in one English and one Chinese newspaper.
Provided in Section 25(4) of the Jury Ordinance, the jury shall consist of not less than five persons in any civil or criminal trial or coroner's inquest.[7] Accordingly, criminal cases are normally tried by a seven-person jury. From time to time, at the discretion of the judge, a jury may increase in size to nine jurors.[8]
According to Section 13 and 21 of the Jury Ordinance, each potential juror is assigned a number. The Registrar is then to print the number on separate cards of equal size and put into a box. Afterwards, in open court, the Registrar draws cards from the box until a jury is formed.[9][10]
The accused person can challenge and dismiss a juror for good cause. In addition to the unlimited number of challenge of juror for cause, the accused person is granted the power to challenge and dismiss up to 5 jurors without any reasons (pre-emptive challenge). However, the Secretary for Justice, who prosecutes the accused and initiates the criminal proceeding, also has the right to challenge and dismiss a juror for cause but no right to give pre-emptive challenge.
The Ordinance for the Regulation of Jurors and Juries was enacted. The Ordinance stated that:
| “ | all questions of fact, whether of a civil and criminal nature upon which issue shall be taken in the course of any proceeding before the Supreme Court...shall be decided by the verdict of a jury of six men. | ” |
This was the very first piece of local legislation to formally introduce and regulate the jury system in Hong Kong. The jury system in Hong Kong has changed and evolved through time; and it is quite different from the one implanted in 1845.
For the very first time in history, the name of a Chinese Hong Kong resident, Wong A. Shing, showed up on the list of jurors. The Legislative Council had a special meeting over the issue and reached the result of retaining the name and adopting the list. A year later, the Legislative Council had a debate over the same issue and reached the same result after voting on the matter.[11]