Employer accused of not paying trial juror

THE employer of a woman on the jury for a murder trial in Cork appeared before the Central Criminal Court yesterday to face an allegation that he would not pay her while she was on jury duty.

“Under the Juries Act you are liable to pay her until the end of the case,” Mr Justice Paul Carney told the employer.

“I was not aware of that,” the employer said.

The juror alleged that her employer told her he was not going to pay her when she was on jury duty. The employer said the area in which the employee was working was being outsourced and that she and others were not required. He said the juror was given notice on Sunday and was told efforts would be made to find employment for her elsewhere in the company.

Mr Justice Carney asked what the juror’s status was last Tuesday when the murder trial began. The employer said she was employed. The judge said a very serious situation would arise for the employer if it was established the juror’s job was outsourced “as punishment for doing jury service”.

The employer said: “I am aware of that, but that is certainly not the case.”

The judge advised the employer to get legal representation and told him to return to court today.