The Ministry of Justice is inviting the public to share their views on proposed reforms to Bermuda’s jury system, a key pillar of justice and civic participation, through a new public consultation that runs from 3 November to 31 December 2025.

This consultation provides residents with an opportunity to review proposed changes to the way juries are constituted, selected and compensated. The Ministry encourages members of the public to visit forum.gov.bm to review the consultation papers, learn more about the proposals and provide feedback online.

Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Sen. the Hon. Kim Wilkerson, JP, said the consultation represents an important step in modernising Bermuda’s jury system to make it more inclusive, efficient and reflective of the community it serves.

Minister Wilkerson said, “Our jury system is one of the most fundamental safeguards of justice. But to keep it strong, we must ensure that the laws governing jury service keep pace with the realities of today’s Bermuda,” said Minister Wilkerson.

“One of the areas under consideration is expanding eligibility to allow persons over the age of 75 to serve, if they wish, reviewing grounds for exemptions and disqualifications and exploring opportunities to make the selection process more efficient and representative. As Bermuda currently has the largest jury sizes of all British Overseas Territories, reducing the size of juries is also under review.  

"Public input will be critical in shaping a system that balances fairness with practicality.”

As part of the consultation, the Ministry will also engage directly with residents through a series of public meetings, including meetings in partnership with parish councils.  

The first of these will take place with the Sandys Parish Council at the Somerset Cricket Club on Thursday, 6 November, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Residents of the parish are encouraged to attend and share their perspectives.

Details of additional meetings in other parishes will be announced in due course.

Minister Wilkerson added, "Public participation is essential to achieving meaningful reform. Jury service touches many Bermudians at some point in their lives and it is vital that the process is fair, transparent and accessible. We want to hear from the community so that these reforms reflect both legal principles and the lived experience of the people.”