The Act Commentary on Sections Part 1 - Coroners etc Section 8: Assembling a jury
86.This section sets out the arrangements for summoning and swearing in a jury.
87.Subsection (1) sets out the numbers of jurors for a coroner’s jury. There must be no fewer than seven and not more than eleven people. This replicates the minimum and maximum number of jurors under section 8(2)(a) of the 1988 Act.
88.The senior coroner calls people to attend for jury service by issuing a summons stating the time that they are needed and the place that they must attend (subsection (2)), as under the previous arrangements. At the outset the coroner will require jury members to swear they will make a true determination according to the evidence (subsection (3)).
89.Subsection (4) makes qualifications for jury service at a coroner’s inquest the same as for the Crown Court, the High Court and the county courts, in accordance with section 1 of the Juries Act 1974. This reproduces the requirements of section 9(1) of the 1988 Act.
90.Subsection (5) enables the coroner to check that a juror meets the qualification requirements, in the same terms as section 9(4) of the 1988 Act.