A High Court judge is warning employers that it is against the law to threaten, impede or dismiss employees selected for jury duty.
“I have to again remind employers in this country, the law prevents them from harassing, dismissing, short-paying or denying jurors the time to attend or threatening them with dismissal or other disadvantages,” said Justice Carlisle Greaves.
Addressing a new cohort of jurors in Supreme Court No. 3 on Monday, he disclosed a recent situation where a former juror was let go from her workplace.
“One of the cases which has come to my attention last year is one of the jurors who was with us, whom I refused a deferral, has been fired by her firm. They know who they are. They paid her out and fired her. I am going to suggest to you…open your window and your door to your heart and let her back in. That is as serious a subject for serious prosecution,” the judge said.
Telling managers that allowing employees to serve on juries was “a social contribution” to the peace and civility of the country, he pointed out that it added to the success of business enterprises.
“The same businesses and business people who feel it is too much to let an employee come and serve on the jury in this country are the same ones that when their day comes to seek justice in these courts for some wrong done to them, would want jurors to assist in bringing them justice. So just because your firm, your company or you, Mr or Mrs Employer, have not been robbed today, or arsoned, or burgled or been assaulted, murdered or any such thing, does not entitle you to feel that you must not contribute to the peace of the country by lending us a few employees from time to time,” Greaves continued.
The judge pointed out that the drop that had been recorded in crime statistics in 2023 was in part due to the work done by jurors.
“The contribution you made last year and the year before in lending us these jurors is one of the reasons why the police were able to report, by the end of [last] year, a 50 per cent decline in our murder rates [and] a 50 per cent decline in our firearm incidents. We are probably the only nation in the entire Caribbean that is able to report that,” he stated.
“So please, assist us, and we will try our best here to assist you,” Greaves appealed to employees.
