Jury Service Safety During COVID-19

Your safety and the safety of all persons required to attend the Federal Court of Australia for jury service is of paramount importance. The following is a summary of the key measures that the Federal Court of Australia has in place for jury service:

1. Greater consideration to allow a request to be excused if you are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of COVID-19.
2. Avoiding the need for the physical gathering of large jury pools.
3. Limiting court attendance time required for jury selection.
4. Changes to the spaces in which trials are conducted and in which juries deliberate to ensure physical distancing is maintained.
5. Requiring the wearing of face masks.
6. Hand sanitiser readily available.
7. Frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces by commercial cleaners.
8. Reducing the number of people in the Court building to allow for physical distancing.

The measures set out above are subject to change to ensure that the Federal Court of Australia complies with health and safety obligations and all relevant lawful COVID-19 directions to protect public health and safety.

If you are required to attend the Federal Court of Australia for jury service, you must stay at home and contact the Court immediately, via the contact details below, if you:

• feel unwell, or have any symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, inability to smell or taste)
• are a contact of a positive case of COVID-19
• live or work with anyone who is in isolation or in quarantine due to COVID-19, or
• live or work with anyone who is being tested for COVID-19.

For more information about COVID-19 please visit the Department of Health and Human Services website.

For more information about the Federal Court of Australia’s response to COVID-19, please contact the Sheriff of the Federal Court of Australia via email at sheriff@fedcourt.gov.au.

Last updated: March 2021