Justice Kevin Phillips, who is overseeing a murder trial in Ottawa, said in a pre-trial ruling that he would dismiss any potential jurors who said they were unvaccinated.

The judge said the measure would protect other jurors and avoid delays in the event someone is exposed to the virus, CBC News reports.

James Harbic, who is representing the defendant in the trial, said: “It’s an excellent idea. The defence wants intelligent people on the jury [that] understand complicated notions like the presumption of innocence, concepts like proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

“In my own [opinion] the great majority of people who are not getting their double vaccination do not trust science … I think [they] lack a considerable amount of sophistication, and also lack a certain amount of social responsibility to other members of the community. So they’re not the kind of jurors I would want on my jury anyway.”