Summoning in exceptional circumstances. 6.—(1) If it appears to the court that a jury to try any issue before the court will be, or probably will be, incomplete, the court may, if the court thinks fit, require any persons who are in, or in the vicinity of, the court, to be summoned (without any written notice) for jury service up to the number needed (after allowing for any who may not be qualified under section 1 of this Act, and for refusals and challenges) to make up a full jury.
(2) The names of the persons so summoned shall be added to the panel and the court shall proceed as if those so summoned had been included in the panel in the first instance.
Attendance and service. 7. Subject to the provisions of this Act, a person summoned under this Act shall attend for so many days as may be directed by the summons or by the appropriate officer, and shall be liable to serve on any jury (in the Crown Court or the High Court or any county court) at the place to which he is summoned, or in the vicinity.
Excusal for previous jury service. 8.—(1) If a person summoned under this Act shows to the satisfaction of the appropriate officer, or of the court (or any of the courts) to which he is summoned—
- (a) that he has served on a jury, or duly attended to serve on a jury, in the prescribed period ending with the service of the summons on him, or
- (b) that the Crown Court or any other court has excused him from jury service for a period which has not terminated,
the officer or court shall excuse him from attending, or further attending, in pursuance of the summons.
(2) In subsection (1) above “the prescribed period” means two years or such longer period as the Lord Chancellor may prescribe by order made by statutory instrument subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament, and any such order may be varied or revoked by a subsequent order under this subsection.
(3) Records of persons summoned under this Act, and of persons included in panels, shall be kept in such manner as the Lord Chancellor may direct, and the Lord Chancellor may, if he thinks fit, make arrangements for allowing inspection of the records so kept by members of the public in such circumstances and subject to such conditions as he may prescribe.
(4) A person duly attending in compliance with a summons under this Act shall be entitled on application to the appropriate officer to a certificate recording that he has so attended.
