Jury no-shows prompt fine warning

Whanganui District Court

A judge has blasted Wanganui people for not turning up for jury service.

The trial of a woman charged with failing to provide the necessaries for a child under 16 has not been able to proceed for two days because of a lack of jury members.

The woman, who has name suppression, pleaded not guilty.

The trial was set to begin this week in the Wanganui District Court.

However, a lack of people answering their jury summonses meant that the trial was unable to go ahead.

After too few turned up on Tuesday morning, an effort was made to physically contact those summoned. But yesterday only eight jurors had taken their seats in the box before the court ran out of people to call.

Judge David Cameron said those who didn't show up would face the consequences.

"I send a clear message to the Wanganui community that failing to attend jury service is totally unacceptable because the court can't function properly," he said.

"Those who blatantly disregard their summons will be arrested and fined."

He thanked those who had turned up and acknowledged they had been "significantly inconvenienced because of the selfishness and dereliction of duty of others".

Judge Cameron said it was also unfair on the defendant.

The woman was remanded on bail to appear today.