Part 13: Procedures in courts and tribunals Section 196: British Sign Language interpreters for deaf jurors
Section 196 inserts new sections 9C, 20H and 20I into the Juries Act 1974 and makes a minor related amendment to section 22(A1) of the same Act. It makes provision for British Sign Language ("BSL") interpreters to be present in the jury deliberation room, meaning that profoundly deaf jurors will no longer be automatically excluded from completing jury service simply because they require the assistance of a BSL interpreter.
	New section 9C(1) and (2) place a duty on the judge to consider whether the assistance of a BSL interpreter would enable a profoundly deaf person to act as a juror and, if so, to appoint one or more interpreters and to affirm the summons in the exercise of their discretion.
	New section 9C(3) and (4) permit an interpreter appointed under new subsection (2) to remain with the jury in the course of their deliberations in proceedings before a court, and make clear that the interpreter must not interfere in or influence the deliberations of the jury.
	New section 20H addresses those existing provisions in the Juries Act 1974 which are to apply to BSL interpreters as they already apply to jurors, with a necessary modification being made to the meaning of "the trial period" for these purposes. New section 20H(1) deals with challenge for cause; new section 20H(2) deals with surrender of electronic communication devices; new section 20H(3) deals with the offence of research; new section 20H(4) deals with the offence of sharing research; and new section 20H(5) deals with exceptions to the offence of disclosing jury deliberations.
	New section 20I makes it an offence for an interpreter appointed under new section 9C(2) intentionally to interfere in or influence jury deliberations, and sets out the penalty where proceedings have been instituted by or with the consent of the Attorney General and a person is found guilty of this offence.
	A reference to new section 20I is inserted alongside existing references to sections 20A, 20B and 20C within section 22(A1) (offences which do not affect contempt of court at common law) to confirm that nothing in new section 20I affects what constitutes contempt of court at common law.