First Nations chiefs, councillors to be excluded from jury selection in province
Other elected officials are already not eligible for jury duty because of potential conflicts of interest
Saskatchewan could become the first jurisdiction where First Nations chiefs and council members will be excluded from jury selection.
That's according to the Ministry of Justice which says the change is being made to ensure the rules are consistent, because elected municipal officials aren't eligible for jury duty because of potential conflicts of interest.
Justice Minister and Attorney General Don Morgan hopes the exclusion of First Nations leadership pushes them to encourage band members to respond to notices of jury duty.
Morgan says to increase the size of jury pools in the province, the spouses of municipal elected officials will become eligible for jury selection.
And personal information of jurors will no longer be part of the public record, though it will still be available to parties of a proceeding.