Ontario proposes to move jury duty questionnaires online

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Published November 24, 2022 at 3:47 pm

Ontario is proposing to move jury duty questionnaires online.

That’s one part of a large red tape reduction bill the government introduced this week, which also includes increasing the amount of time retired judges can serve.

Attorney General Doug Downey says allowing prospective jurors to complete their questionnaire online is “the next evolution” in introducing a more modern way of jury selection and management.

The province says the questionnaires are mailed to about 800,000 people a year and ask questions – such as whether the recipient has been convicted of certain criminal offences – to determine eligibility to serve on a jury.

People currently have to return the completed form by mail, and those who do qualify may receive a summons to participate in the jury selection process.

The legislation says that people could still request that a paper copy of the questionnaire be mailed to them instead.

The Canadian Press

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