Story: Nation and government

First woman on a jury

First woman on a jury

This is an article about the first court case in New Zealand to include a woman, a Miss Kingsford, on the jury. Until 1942, women were denied the right to sit on juries, and even then, their service remained voluntary. In 1959 there was a vigorous campaign to put women on the same footing as men regarding jury service. The right of women to claim automatic exemption when called for jury service was eventually cancelled in 1976. Jury service for men and women then became completely equal.

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National Library of New Zealand, Papers Past
Reference: Auckland Star, 15 October 1943, p. 5

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How to cite this page:

John Wilson, 'Nation and government - The legal system', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/document/2549/first-woman-on-a-jury (accessed 20 April 2024)

Story by John Wilson, updated 1 Sep 2016