Section 20E Offence of disclosing jury's deliberations: initial exceptionsF1

(1)

It is not an offence under section 20D for a person to disclose information in the proceedings mentioned in section 20D(1) for the purposes of enabling the jury to arrive at their verdict or in connection with the delivery of that verdict.

(2)

It is not an offence under section 20D for the judge dealing with those proceedings to disclose information—

(a)

for the purposes of dealing with the case, or

(b)

for the purposes of an investigation by a relevant investigator into whether an offence or contempt of court has been committed by or in relation to a juror in the proceedings mentioned in section 20D(1).

(3)

It is not an offence under section 20D for a person who reasonably believes that a disclosure described in subsection (2)(b) has been made to disclose information for the purposes of the investigation.

(4)

It is not an offence under section 20D to publish information disclosed as described in subsection (1) or (2)(a) in the proceedings mentioned in section 20D(1).

(5)

In this section—

“publish” means make available to the public or a section of the public;
“relevant investigator” means—
1. (a)
  a police force;
2. (b)
  the Attorney General;
3. (c)
  any other person or class of person specified by the Lord Chancellor for the purposes of this section by regulations made by statutory instrument.

(6)

The Lord Chancellor must obtain the consent of the Lord Chief Justice before making regulations under this section.

(7)

A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1: Ss. 20D-20G inserted (13.4.2015) by Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015 (c. 2), ss. 74(1), 95(1); S.I. 2015/778, art. 3, Sch. 1 para. 59 (with Sch. 2 para. 4(a))