Statutory Review of majority verdicts amendments

The NSW Department of Communities and Justice is reviewing the operation of the amendments made to the Jury Act 1977 by the Jury Amendment (Verdicts) Act 2006 to determine whether the policy objectives of those amendments remain valid and whether the terms of the amendments remain appropriate for securing those objectives.

About the amendments

The amendments made to the Jury Act 1977 by the Jury Amendment (Verdicts) Act 2006 introduced majority verdicts in criminal proceedings in NSW. The policy objectives of the amendments include enabling a significant majority of jurors to return a guilty or not guilty verdict in certain circumstances in order to avoid the inconvenience, cost and delay of a hung jury for criminal justice system participants, additional trauma for victims, and any associated reduction in public confidence in the criminal justice system.

The Jury Amendment (Verdicts) Act 2006 commenced on 26 May 2006 and can be viewed on the NSW legislation website.

Have your say

Interested individuals and organisations are invited to make submissions to the review.

Submissions should be sent to:

Policy, Reform and Legislation
NSW Department of Communities and Justice
GPO Box 6
Sydney NSW 2001

Or email your submission to policy@justice.nsw.gov.au with the subject line 'Jury Reforms – Statutory Review of majority verdicts amendments'.

Submissions made to the review may be referred to in the final report and made publicly available, unless you request that all or part of your submission be kept confidential.

Submissions close on Friday 14 May 2021.