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The Jury in Federal Jurisdiction—Constitutional Aspects

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2025

C. K. Comans
C. K. Comans*
Affiliation:
Commonwealth of Australia
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Extract

The only mention of juries in the Commonwealth Constitution is in section 80, which provides (inter alia) that “The trial on indictment of any offence against any law of the Commonwealth shall be by jury”. Apart from cases on the question what is meant by “ trial on indictment ”, there is not a great deal of authority on the constitutional questions that arise in relation to juries, civil and criminal, in federal jurisdiction.

Type
Research Article
Information
Federal Law Review , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , March 1968 , pp. 51 - 63
Copyright
Copyright © 1968 The Australian National University

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References

1 R. v. Federal Court of Bankruptcy; Ex parte Lowenstein (1937-1938) 59 C.L.R.. 556. In Sachter v. Attorney-General (Cth) (1954) 94 C.L.R. 86, the Court declined tO allow the correctness of Lowenstein's case to be canvassed. See also Spratt v. Hermes (1965) 114 C.L.R. 226, 244 per Barwick C.J.

2 (1954) 94 C.L.R. 86.

3 (1929) 42 C.L.R. 481, 511.

4 (1954) St.R.Qd. 159.

5 (1967) 41 A.L.J.R. 137. The view of the Court appears to be an example of unnecessarily narrow interpretation, which did violence to the probable intention of the legislature. Surely the policy disclosed was that the application of the section of the Crimes Act 1914-1960 (Cth) should not be entrusted to honorary justices of the peace; there seems no reason to think that the legislature would not have considered a judge sitting with a jury equally competent to apply the section as a judge sitting without a jury.

6 Ibid. 138.

7 Rola Co. (Australia) Pty Ltd v. The Commonwealth (1944) 69 C.L.R. 185.

8 Infra 55.

9 (1924) 35 C.L.R. 200, especially per Isaacs A.C.J. 205.

10 (1924) 35 C.L.R. 69, 105.

11 (1929) 42 C.L.R. 481, 498.

12 (1937-1938) 59 C.L.R. 556, 587.

13 (1953) 87 C.L.R. 144, 151.

14 R. v. Kirby and Others, Ex parte Boilermakers' Society of Australia (1955-1956) 94 C.L.R. 254, 269-270.

15 (1965) 1 D.C.R. (N.S.W.) 189; 1967 A.L.M.D. (May) 45.

16 (1929) 42 C.L.R. 481.

17 Ibid. 496-497. (Italics supplied).

18 1954 St.R.Qd. 159.

19 (1924) 35 C.L.R. 69, 105.

20 (1929) 42 C.L.R. 481.

21 (1937-1938) 59 C.L.R. 556.

22 Supra, n. 13.

23 (1955-1956) 94 C.L.R. 254.

24 Troy v. Wrigglesworth (1919) 26 C.L.R. 305; Lorenzo v. Carey (1921) 29 C.L.R. 243; and R. v. Ray; Ex parte Smith [1948J S.A.S.R. 216.

25 1954 St.R.Qd. 159.

26 (1905) 3 C.L.R. 132.

27 Ibid. 136.

28 The Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital v. Thornton (1953) 87 C.L.R. 144.

29 Quick, and Garran, , The Annotated Constitution of the Australian Commonwealth (1901) 807Google Scholar.

30 Ibid. 810.

31 (1930) 281 U.S. 276.

32 (1936) 299 U.S. 123.

33 Ibid. 147-148.

34 (1930) 281 U.S. 276, 306.

35 (1908-1909) 8 C.L.R. 330.

36 Ibid. 375.

37 Ibid. 385-386.

38 (1915) 20 C.L.R. 315.

39 Ibid. 323.

40 Ibid. 365.

41 Ibid. 374-375.

42 Halsbury's Laws of England (1st ed. 1911) v. 18, 254, 258.

43 Jury Act 1912-1965 (N.S.W.), section 27A.

44 Juries Act 1958 (Vic.), section 44.

45 (1908-1909) 8 C.L.R. 33.

46 [1966] 2 W.L.R. 682.

47 Quick and Garran, op. cit. 808.

48 Spratt v. Hermes (1965) 114 C.L.R. 226 affirming R. v. Bernasconi (1915) 19 C.L.R. 629.