Story: Women’s movement

Women’s groups, including the Federation of University Women and the National Council of Women, campaigned for women to be allowed to serve on juries. From 1942 the Women Jurors Act allowed women aged between 25 and 60 to volunteer to be on the list of potential jurors, but conditions were not the same for men and women until 1976. This is the first woman to serve on a jury, Elaine R. Kingsford of Takapuna, Auckland. Although she could have claimed an exemption (automatically given to any woman who asked for it), Kingsford went ahead, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.