Juries Act 1981

Miscellaneous provisions

32: Failure to attend

You could also call this:

"What happens if you don't go to court when you're called for jury duty"

If you are summoned to attend court as a juror and you do not go, the court can fine you up to $1,000. This can happen if you fail to attend without a good reason or if you refuse to serve when called upon. The court must first tell you what you have done wrong and give you a chance to explain before they can fine you. If you do not answer when called to serve as a juror, the court can issue a warrant to make you come to court. The court follows certain rules, like those in Part 6 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011, when fining someone for not attending court as a juror. This means the fine is treated like a sentence, and the rules apply as if you had been convicted of a crime and sentenced.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM44839.

This page was last updated on 24 February 2026 — View changes

Topics:

Crime and justice > Police and safetyCrime and justice > Courts and legal help

31: Payment of fee for jury in civil cases, or

"Paying a fee for a jury in a civil court case"

32A: Employees absent on jury service not to be prejudiced, or

"Your boss can't treat you unfairly if you're away from work for jury service"

32Failure to attend

The court may, after complying with subsection (2), fine a person a sum, not exceeding $1,000, the court thinks fit if that person is summoned to attend and serve as a juror before the court but—
fails without reasonable excuse to attend for service as required by the summons; or
wilfully refuses or neglects to serve when called upon.

Before imposing a fine on a person under subsection (1), the court must first inform that person of the default and afford that person a reasonable chance to explain it.
If a person who is summoned to appear and serve as a juror fails to answer when called, the court may issue a warrant to secure the attendance of that person before the court.
For the purposes of Part 6 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011,—
the imposition of a fine under subsection (1) is to be treated as a sentence; and
that Part applies as if the person on whom the fine has been imposed had been convicted on a charge and sentenced.

Compare

1908 No 90 ss 162, 163
1925 No 19 s 3
1960 No 115 s 4
1963 No 141 s 6(1)

Notes

Section 32: replaced, on 25 December 2008, by section 21 of the Juries Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 40).
Section 32(4): replaced, on 1 July 2013, by section 7 of the Juries Amendment Act 2011 (2011 No 90).