Appendix 1
Explanatory Note on Jur
y Service Leave
The Juries Act, 1976 provides that every citizen aged between 18 and 70 years who is entered in
the Dail Electoral Register may be called for jury service, with the following exceptions:
Certain professional categories are excused as of right, including:
Nurses; Dentists; Pharmacists; and Medical Practitioners
An employee who has served (or attended to serve) on a jury in the previous three years may be
excused by the county registrar. A judge may also excuse a juror from service for a period of
time.
Employers have a duty to allow employees to attend for jury service. However, if it is not possible
due to service requirements to allow the employee to attend, s/he may be granted a certificate
from the appropriate manager, stating that it would be contrary to the public interest for him/her to
serve as a juror because s/he performs essential and urgent services of public importance that
cannot reasonably be performed by another or postponed.
HR 108 (h)_V2 Apr 2010 Page 2 of 2 Revised 01/04/2010
An employee
is treated as employed during any period s/he is complying with a jury summons.
Thus, an employee is entitled to pay (basic plus any regular allowances e.g. long-term acting up
and continuous location allowances) and continues to accrue entitlements to annual leave,
incremental credit, etc, while on jury service.