Which NSW act permits majority jury verdicts in criminal proceedings?

• A. Jury Act 1977 (NSW)
• B. Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW)
• C. Jury Amendment (Verdicts) Act 2006 (NSW)
• D. R v Jurisic [1998]

Answer: (C)

The question tests knowledge of a legislative change that allows a jury to reach a verdict by majority rather than needing full unanimity. The reform is found in the Jury Amendment (Verdicts) Act 2006 (NSW). This Act amended the earlier Jury Act 1977 to provide that, after a period of deliberation and with appropriate judicial directions, a twelve‑person jury can return a majority verdict in a criminal proceeding. The aim is to prevent hung juries and bring trials to a timely conclusion, while still safeguarding the fairness of the process.

The other options don’t fit this specific change. The Jury Act 1977 governs how jurors are selected and empanelled, not how verdicts are determined. The Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 deals with how sentences are imposed, not how verdicts are reached. A case like R v Jurisic [1998] is case law and does not authorise a legislative change to verdict rules.