Getting a jury service notice
If you receive a ‘Notice to prospective juror’, your name has been chosen randomly from the electoral roll to take part in jury service as a potential juror.
This notice explains when and where you’ll serve your jury service if you’re summoned.
Note: Receiving this notice does not mean you’ll definitely do jury service. There are several steps in the process of determining your suitability for jury service.
Watch a video about the jury service process.
Prospective juror questionnaire
The notice includes a ‘Prospective juror questionnaire’ that you must complete online or return to the court that issued the notice by the due date.
Your answers tell us if you’re available and eligible for jury service at the selected time.
Complete the questionnaire fully and truthfully, and sign and date it to declare that, to the best of your knowledge, your answers are correct.
Once we receive your questionnaire, you may receive a summons.
Submit the completed questionnaire even if you:
- may be ineligible
- are unavailable at the selected time
- intend to apply for an excusal.
Submitting your questionnaire
You can complete and submit your questionnaire:
- online, including uploading supporting documents
- by email to the address on the questionnaire
- by post to the address on your questionnaire.
You will need the juror number from your notice to complete the form online.
Not completing the questionnaire
The questionnaire is a legal document and it’s an offence to not complete it fully and truthfully, or not return it by the specified date. You may be fined or be imprisoned if you fail to do so.
Losing your questionnaire
If you’ve lost your questionnaire, contact your nearest Supreme or District Court registry.
Running late
If you realise you haven’t completed the questionnaire by the due date, still complete it online or send it to us as soon as possible by mail.
Collection of information
The details on your questionnaire are taken from the Electoral Commission Queensland (ECQ). If your information is incorrect, please provide the up-to-date information in the questionnaire response. However please note this will not update your information with ECQ. You will also need to contact the ECQ to update it.
We collect your phone number and email details so we can contact you to clarify details or provide information during service. We also collect your occupation as it may be incorrect on the electoral roll. (If you’re currently unemployed or retired, put your last paid occupation on the questionnaire.)
Postponing or excusing jury service
In Queensland, you can’t postpone jury service. However, you may be excused from taking part under some circumstances.
If prospective juror is overseas
If you have permission to open someone’s mail while they’re overseas and they’ve received a notice to prospective juror, do not complete the questionnaire on their behalf.
Ask the person to answer the questionnaire online. Alternatively, return the notice and include a letter explaining that the person is overseas, including:
- the date they left the country
- how long they intend to be overseas
- their expected return date.
What happens next
If your questionnaire responses show you’re eligible and available to serve on a jury, or your request for excusal is denied, your name will go into a second selection.
If your name is randomly selected in the second selection, you’ll receive a summons. Find out more about getting a summons for jury service.
If you don’t hear anything more by the jury service commencement date in your ‘Notice to prospective juror’, you can assume your name was not selected in the second selection — and you’re not needed for that round of jury service.