A plan to raise the upper age limit of jurors to 70 has been widely supported in a Scottish Government consultation, it emerged yesterday.
However, police calls for the role of juries to be curbed in complex cases have not been backed.
The government launched a consultation over the role of the jury in Scottish criminal trials last year.
The results of the consultation published yesterday showed that 90% of respondents agreed that people aged 65-70 should no longer be debarred from jury service.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: “I am grateful to all of those who contributed to the consultation and pleased by the level of support for our plan to raise the upper age limit for jurors to 70.
“We will remove a clear discrimination and allow Scotland’s justice system to benefit from the experience of around 200,000 senior citizens who will, in future, be able to serve on trial juries.”
A submission from the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland said that, as a general rule, all relevant trials should be heard by a jury.
But it added: “A jury may be disposed of in those trials where length or complexity are likely to be an issue, with such trials proceeding in another manner.”
However, two-thirds of respondents to the consultation agreed that juries should continue to be used. About the same amount of respondents opposed any move to an Irish model of compensation for jury service.
But the vast majority (89%) agreed that jurors who serve on the very longest trials should receive enhanced compensation for losses incurred. Just over half supported keeping the current jury size of 15.
Reducing exemption periods from five years to two years for those who are called to attend court as potential jurors but aren’t balloted was backed by 79%. The government will also legislate on this.
“Clearly we will take time to consider the other issues raised in the consultation before deciding any further steps,” Mr MacAskill added.