Juries Act 1981

Jury lists and panels

15A: Registrar's discretion and duty to excuse from jury service permanently

You could also call this:

"When you can't do jury service because of health or age"

You can be excused from jury service if you have a disability or health issue that stops you from doing a juror's job properly. The Registrar will excuse you if you are 72 years or older and you ask to be excused. You can ask the Registrar to cancel your excusal if you change your mind.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM5165316.

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

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Crime and justice > Courts and legal help

15: Registrar's discretion and duty to excuse from jury service on particular occasion, or

"When You Can Be Excused from Jury Service"

16: Judge's discretion to excuse from jury service on particular occasion, or

"A Judge can excuse you from jury service on a particular day for a good reason."

15ARegistrar's discretion and duty to excuse from jury service permanently

The Registrar may excuse a person summoned to attend as a juror on an occasion from attending in any court on any occasion if satisfied, on a written application for the purpose made by or on behalf of the person, that, because of the person's disability or state of health, the person would not, if required to attend as a juror in any court on any occasion, be able to perform a juror's duties satisfactorily.
The Registrar must excuse a person summoned to attend as a juror on an occasion from attending in any court on any occasion if satisfied, on a written application for the purpose made by or on behalf of the person, that the person is of or over the age of 72 years.
The Registrar must cancel a person's permanent excusal under subsection (2) promptly after receiving a written application for the purpose made by or on behalf of the person.
The Registrar may ask a person to provide evidence in support of an application under this section if the Registrar reasonably thinks that evidence of that kind is necessary in order to determine the application.
If the Registrar declines an application under this section, the applicant may, in accordance with the jury rules, appeal against that decision to the court before which the applicant is summoned to appear.

Notes

Section 15A: inserted, on 29 April 2013, by section 11 of the Juries (Jury Service and Protection of Particulars of Jury List Information) Amendment Act 2012 (2012 No 75).
Section 15A(2): amended, on 21 February 2026, by section 6 of the Juries (Age of Excusal) Amendment Act 2026 (2026 No 5).