Juror age limit to be raised to 75

Justice minister Damian Green has announced today that the government will introduce legislation early next year to increase the upper age limit for jurors to 75.

The age limit was last raised, from 65 to 70, by the Criminal Justice Act 1988.

"Our society is changing and it is vital that the criminal justice system moves with the times," Green said.

"The law as it currently stands does not take into account the increases to life expectancy that have taken place over the past 25 years.

"This is about harnessing the knowledge and life experiences of a group of people who can offer significant benefits to the court process."

In its comment section 'The Daily Telegraph' called for the upper age limit for jurors to be scrapped completely, following the example set by Scotland.

It described as "daft" the decision to introduce a compulsory retirement age of 70 for judges under the Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993.

"If you can sit on a jury after the age of 70, then you must surely be allowed to sit on the bench," the newspaper said.

"While he is at it, Mr Green should change that law as well."

Professor Cheryl Thomas, director of the Jury Project at UCL, told the BBC that the latest age increase was long overdue.

"Virtually every other common law jurisdiction that has a jury system currently has no upper age limit at all for jury service," she said.

"This new policy change will bring England and Wales up to speed with the rest of the common law systems."

However, the BBC also reported that the Council of Circuit Judges warned in 2010 that allowing people aged over 70 to serve on juries could lead to "substantial disruption" to criminal trials.

"There would, inevitably, be an increase in 'days lost' as a result of illness or incapacity," it said.

"Proceedings might be hampered by poor hearing, poor vision or physical disability."