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“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

How BC’s low pay for jurors is preventing some accused from being tried by their peers (Times Colonist)


. . . . the 14 men and women (12, plus two alternates) may have felt satisfaction performing their civic duty, they received comparatively little in jury pay for putting their lives on hold for those months — earning less than minimum wage.

And that low pay, advocates say, could be affecting the makeup of juries who are selected to decide the outcomes of the dozens — there were 76 in 2019 and 44 in 2022 — of criminal and civil trials every year in BC.

Over the eight months of the trial, they earned BC’s daily rate of $20 for the first 10 days, $60 for Days 11 through 49, and $100 after Day 50 — or about $8,000, an amount that someone working full-time for minimum wage would have earned in three months.

And the province has no plans to raise the rate, despite a federal committee’s recommendation . . . .

CLICK HERE for the full story

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