[Australia] Our jury system needs urgently fixing / Online Opinion, 15 March 2007
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5614
Michael Bosscher
"One of the cornerstones of our justice system - the jury - is in urgent need of an overhaul because too many juries now are not fully representative of the population. Instead of the centuries-old concept of 12 impartial citizens representing the community at large, we now have a system where growing numbers of people are seeking excusal from jury duty, for a host of reasons. Work, childcare and financial issues are the most cited reasons for jurors seeking excusal. Ideally a jury should be a representative cross section of the community - representing gender, culture, socio economic groups and age. However increasing jury excusal rates mean juries now are often made up of retirees and the unemployed."