House amends Jury Amendment Act to address jury tampering

KINGSTON, Jamaica—The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the Jury (Amendment) (No 2) Act 2026, to address concerns surrounding jury tampering. It was passed with five amendments after members of the parliamentary Opposition raised several concerns. The Bill was piloted by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Delroy Chuck, who, in opening the debate, stressed it was intended to strengthen measures to address jury tampering. He said the aim of the amendments was to empower judges in cases where jury tampering is suspected or detected, t o discharge a jury and continue the trial without one, or alternatively, terminate the proceedings and order a retrial. Chuck explained that Section 45 of the Jury Act currently outlines the circumstances that warrant the discharge of an empanelled jury. These include circumstances where a judge is satisfied that there is no reasonable likelihood of the jury reaching a verdict; where a juror falls ill during a trial, reducing the number of jurors by more than one; and where a jury has been discharged and a new trial ordered, but a juror from the previous trial is included in the new panel. The minister noted that the Act did not provide judges with the discretion to proceed with a trial without a jury after an empanelled jury has been discharged. “This gap within the law can have fatal consequences for the timely conclusion of a matter. This is concerning, specifically in circumstances where jury tampering is a very real and present danger within our judicial system and, by extension, our society,” he said. Chuck emphasised that the legislation is not intended to eliminate trial by jury. Rather, he stated that the provisions of the Bill introduce “carefully balanced reforms that preserve the central role of the jury while providing the courts with the necessary tools to ensure that justice is done”. Separately, he said, “We are going to invite the public to make submissions on whether or not we should keep the jury or whether we should disband the jury… so that it is a public decision. I know there are many persons, including the chief justice, who are asking for juryless trials, and it is a matter that this parliament must consider and make a decision on,” he said. For now, Chuck is satisfied that these provisions “strike a careful balance between safeguarding the jury system and ensuring that criminal trials are not derailed by intimidation or corruption.” “The use of trial by jury remains a cornerstone of our justice system. However, the system must also be responsive and capable of addressing contemporary challenges, particularly those relating to threats to the integrity of jury trials,” he said. He said the Joint Select Committee to review the Jury Act will be named at the next sitting of the House of Representatives.