William III, 1696-7: An Act to enable the Returns of Juries as formerly until the First Day of November One thousand six hundred ninety seven. [Chapter X. Rot. Parl. 8&9 Gul.III.p.2.nu.4.]

Recital of 7 & 8 W. III. c. 32. § 4. and that several Constables had neglected to make Returns; and that in several Countries no Lists were made up or entered; Before 1st Nov. 1697 Lists of Juries may be returned as formerly; After Michaelmas 1697, Justices in Sessions required to issue their Precepts yearly.

Whereas by an Act made in the First Sessions of this present Parliament intituled An Act for the Ease of Jurors and better regulating of Juries it is amongst other things enacted That all Constables Tythingmen and Headboroughs of Towns in each County or their Deputies or some or one of them shall yearely att the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace to be holden for each County Riding or Division or any Part thereof in the Week after the Feast of Saint Michaell the Archangell upon the First Day of the said Sessions or upon the First Day that the said Sessions shall be held by Adjournment att any other particular Division or Place returne and give a true List in writing of the Names and Places of Abode of all Persons within the respective Places for which they serve qualified to serve upon such Juries with their Titles and Additions between the Age of One and twenty Yeares and the Age of Seventy Yeares to the Justices of the Peace in open Court which said Justices or any Two of them att the said Sessions in the respective Counties Ridings or Divisions shall cause to be delivered a Duplicate of the aforesaid returned List by the Clerks of the Peace of every County or Riding to the Sheriffs or their Deputies on or before the First Day of January next following and cause the said Lists to be fairely entred into a Book by the Clerk of the Peace to be by him provided and kept for that purpose amongst the Records of the said Court of Sessions and no Sheriff shall impanel or returne any Person or p[er]sons to try any of the Issues joyned in any of the said Courts or to be or serve in any Jury att the Assizes Sessions of Oyer and Terminer Goal Delivery or Sessions of the Peace that shall not be named or mentioned in the said List And whereas several Constables not being apprized of their Duties have neglected to make Returns of Jurors in such manner as by the said Act is directed in so much that there are really no Lists or Duplicates of Persons out of which the Jurors are to be returned or impanelled by the Sheriffs for the Tryalls of such Issues as aforesaid ever made upp or entred into Books as the said Act directs in several Counties of this Kingdome and the Sheriffs being as aforesaid obliged by the said Act neither to returne or impanel any p[er]son or Persons that shall not be named or mentioned in the said Lists there will in all and every the said Counties where there have been such total neglects as aforesaid (unlesse other Provision shall be made) be a failure of Tryals by Juries For Remedy whereof be it enacted and it is hereby enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Co[m]mons in Parliament assembled and by Authority of the same That it shall and may be lawfull att any time before the First Day of November which shall be in the Yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred ninety seven for all Sheriffs or Coroners of Counties and Places where such Lists have not been returned pursuant to the Direction of the said Act to make Returns of Jurors in all Cases whatsoever in the same manner as they might have done before the making of the said Act Any thing in the said Act to the contrary notwithstanding And to the end the said Act may be duely putt in Execution from and after the Feast of Saint Michael which shall be in the Yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred ninety seven all Justices of the Peace are hereby required and comanded att their respective Sessions of the Peace that shall be holden next before the Feast of Saint Michael yearly and every Yeare to issue forth Precepts to the respective Constables within their respective Counties or Divisions thereby requiring them and every of them to make such Returne of Persons to serve upon Juries as by the said Act is directed.