Jury Duty: Jurors - Frequently Asked Questions

It is important that you read all the information.

You must appear at the court location on the date and time stated on your summons unless you have applied and been granted a deferral or excusal prior to the summons attendance date.

Failure to respond to your summons may result in an $800 infringement.

Contact the court location on your summons if you have any difficulties understanding your summons.

Inform your employer of your summons attendance date. Have plans in place to be available for up to 5 days for trial selection.

Login to the Jury WA Portal using your unique summons number and your date of birth to provide your mobile contact and email address if you have one. Enter your bank and employment details to receive jury payments.

Record any food allergies or dietary requirements. Meals are not provided unless you are empanelled on a trial and deliberating during a meal period.

Bring your jury summons and some photo identification with you when you attend. You will be required to move through security screening and have your identity checked before your attendance is recorded.

The jury supervisor will conduct a jury induction to deliver important information and show a video about the role of a juror and court proceedings. You will be given instructions if you are required on other days during the week for trial selection.

Jury staff will be available to assist you.

Your enrolled address is used for the random summoning for jury service.

If a person is summoned for jury service and does not attend, they may be issued an infringement for $800. If an infringement is not dealt with, or is unpaid, it will automatically be referred to the Fines Enforcement Registry for enforcement. This may include a suspension of a driver’s license or other sanctions.

If is very important to update your address details with the WAEC. Visit the WAEC website to update or confirm your enrolment details.

Your employer is required to continue to pay your usual wages while you attend for jury service. This includes all employment types such as full time, part time and casual where there was an expectation of work. 

Under the Jury Regulations 2008, If a person loses income as a result of a day or part-day of jury service the summoning officer may, on application by the person, pay a fee for the day that equals the loss. The fee cannot exceed $1000 per day unless the summoning officer is satisfied that the person’s lost income is greater than $1000 and not paying a fee equal to the loss would cause undue hardship to the person.

A small statutory attendance fee is payable for days you attend and not engaged in paid employment, or if you are retired.

Login to the Jury WA Portal using your unique summons number and your date of birth enter your bank and employment details to receive jury payments.

Yes. Your employer must release you to attend for jury service and continue to pay your full wages.

We encourage you to talk to your employer about your summons to jury service. In consultation with your employer, you may wish to consider the option to defer. However, this decision remains with you and your employer cannot make this decision for you.

There are serious penalties for any employer that acts in a prejudicial manner towards an employee as a result of being summoned and attending jury service.

Your employer can refer to the Frequently Asked Questions for Employers for detailed information.

You should not work a night shift on the same day you are required to attend for jury service, this includes working past midnight the night before.

However, your employer must still pay your full entitlements including allowances as if you had worked the night shift.

We recommend you keep your employer informed of your attendance requirements.

You have the flexibility to defer your jury service to provide you more time to prepare for your attendance.

You will be able to submit a claim for lost personal income with documented verifiable evidence for the days you attend. Refer to Payments and Claims for detailed information.

You will need to defer your jury service in the first instance to see if you can complete jury service later when next summoned.

The Department of Justice will pay or reimburse the out-of-pocket cost for care on days you (the primary carer) attend jury service and do not usually require care. The childcare, family care, outside school care or respite care provider must be a licensed facility. Refer to Payments and Claims for detailed information.

The duration of your jury service is determined by the length and number of trials listed each week. You will be informed of your attendance requirements when you are released on each day. 

You are not required to attend for more than 5 consecutive days for trial selection. If you are empanelled as a juror you must attend daily for the duration of the trial or as directed by the Judge, until the trial concludes or you are discharged.

If you have provided your contact details, you will be notified of any changes to your attendance requirements. Login to the Jury WA Portal using your unique summons number and your date of birth to provide your mobile number and email address if you have one.

The panel of potential jurors are escorted to the courtroom by a jury officer. Details about the trial will be announced, including graphic descriptions of alleged offences, the names of the represented parties in the trial and list of witnesses to be called upon.

When the accused person pleads ‘not guilty,’ the judge will call for the panel list and cards to empanel a jury. These cards represent the unique juror numbers issued to those potential jurors present in the court and used to randomly draw from a box.

If your number is called, you should move to the jury box to take a seat. At any point a lawyer may challenge your selection by calling out “Challenge”. If you are challenged, you should not be alarmed or upset, and you will return to a seat in the back of the court. Lawyers are not required to provide any reasons for the challenge. Another juror will be called to take your place.

Additional jurors are often selected if a trial is going to run for a lengthy period. The judge will advise you of the anticipated length of the trial.

If you have any concerns about serving as a juror, or if you know someone or something about the trial, you must raise this with the judge before you enter the jury box. 

If you are not empanelled, then you must follow the directions of the jury officer who will give you further instruction. You may be required to attend another day for other trials, or you may be discharged.

You are expected to return to work when you are released. Contact your employer for instructions.

You can download an Attendance Record by logging into the Jury WA Portal using your unique summons number and your date of birth. An electronic copy will be automatically issued at the completion of a trial or posted if you have not provided your email address. Alternatively, the court can provide you a copy upon request.

Bikes and scooters are not permitted in courthouses. It is your responsibility to be able to find somewhere suitable and secure to leave your bike or scooter outside.