245—Offences relating to jurors
(1) A person who
gives, offers or agrees to give a benefit to another person who is or is to be
a juror or to a third person as a reward or inducement for the other
person's—
(a) not
attending as a juror; or
(b)
acting or not acting as a juror in a way that might influence the outcome of
judicial proceedings,
is guilty of an offence.
Maximum penalty: Imprisonment for 10 years.
(2) A person, who is
or is to be a juror, who seeks, accepts or agrees to accept a benefit (whether
for himself or herself or for a third person) as a reward or inducement
for—
(a) not
attending as a juror; or
(b)
acting or not acting as a juror in a way that might influence the outcome of
judicial proceedings,
is guilty of an offence.
Maximum penalty: Imprisonment for 10 years.
(3) Subject to this
section, a person who prevents or dissuades, or attempts to prevent or
dissuade, another person from attending as a juror at judicial proceedings is
guilty of an offence.
Maximum penalty: Imprisonment for 10 years.
(4) A person is not
guilty of an offence against subsection (3)—
(a)
unless the person knows that, or is recklessly indifferent as to whether, the
other person is or may be required to attend as a juror at the proceedings; or
(b) if
there is lawful authority or a reasonable excuse for his or her action.
(5) A person
who—
(a)
takes an oath as a member of a jury in proceedings knowing that he or she has
not been selected to be a member of the jury; or
(b)
takes the place of a member of a jury in proceedings knowing that he or she is
not a member of the jury,
is guilty of an offence.
Maximum penalty:
(a) if
the person acted with the intention of influencing the outcome of the
proceedings—imprisonment for 10 years;
(b) in
any other case—imprisonment for 2 years.