Requests to be Excused from Jury Service
Information Sheet 3
This information sheet is designed to provide guidance if you are considering making a request to be excused from jury service.
- your health
- undue hardship, financial or otherwise, to you, or to another person, if you are not excused
- your recent service on a jury in any jurisdiction in Australia
- substantial inconvenience to the public resulting from you serving on the jury
- your inability, in all the circumstances, to perform the duties of a juror to a reasonable standard.
The table below sets out some examples of the supporting documentation, required by the Federal Court of Australia, to determine a request to be excused from jury service.
| Basis for request | Required supporting documentation |
|---|---|
| Health | You should provide a letter/certificate from your medical provider which sets out general details of how your health impacts your ability to serve as a juror. |
| Undue hardship – work | You should provide a letter from your employer, such as a manager, as to why your jury service will result in undue hardship to your employer. |
| Undue hardship – self-employment | You should provide details of the nature of your business, your role in the business and the number of employees that you employ. You should also provide a copy of a certificate of business registration or similar document that confirms the existence and nature of your business. |
| Undue hardship – primary carer commitments | You should provide details of your carer commitments, including the age and state of health of each person you have carer responsibility for and whether alternative arrangements have been considered. Depending on the circumstances of the case, the Court may ask for additional information. |
| Undue hardship – student | You should provide a copy of your current student card, enrolment form or similar document that confirms that you are a student. |
| Undue hardship – travel | You should provide details of your travel arrangements, including a copy of travel bookings or similar documents that confirm those arrangements (or an explanation as to why such document/s cannot be provided). |
| Recent jury service | You should provide details of when and where you served on a jury and a copy of a letter or certificate from the relevant jury authority (or an explanation of why a letter or certificate cannot be provided). |
| Inability to perform duties of a juror – language | You should provide a letter from a family member or a third party which sets out their view as to your inability to communicate in English. |
| Inability to perform duties of a juror – disability | The Federal Court of Australia does not discriminate against any person with a disability and will make reasonable adjustments to enable a person with a disability to take part in jury service. If you consider that your disability will impact your ability to serve as a juror, you should provide details. You may also consider providing a letter from your medical provider or a copy of a health card or similar document which confirms details of your disability. |
| Other | The supporting documentation required will be dependent on the basis of the request. |
Further information
Contact the Sheriff of the Federal Court of Australia via email at sheriff@fedcourt.gov.au, or telephone at 0419 420 938.
Last updated: July 2021
