The Department of Justice recently consulted on recommendations made by the Law Reform Commission in a paper on jury reform published more than a decade ago.

In its submission, published earlier this week, the Bar Council says there “does not appear to be a sound basis for insisting that citizenship be an essential prerequisite for jury service”.

Non-citizens have been eligible for jury service in the UK since 1870, it points out.

“The courts increasingly see non-national, non-citizen defendants come before them, yet, other than the inclusion of persons over the age of 70, the pool of potential jurors has remains unchanged since 1976 and is not reflective of today’s population,” it continues.

“A jury composed exclusively of citizens risks undermining public confidence in the justice system’s fairness when trying non-citizen defendants.”

The Bar Council has endorsed the Commission’s recommendation for a residency requirement of at least five years for jury service eligibility.

A residency requirement would address any potential risks associated with opening up jury service to non-citizens, it said.