Deaf Juror

From the BBC:
"Gaye Lyons: Australian deaf woman loses legal battle to be juror"

A woman from Queensland has lost her legal battle to become the first deaf juror in Australia. Gaye Lyons' fight began when she was prevented from being a juror for a trial near Brisbane in 2012. She argued the Queensland government unlawfully discriminated against her by refusing to provide an interpreter, but the High Court unanimously disagreed. "Why should the powers that be decide what's right for me," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. "Why should they decide what I can and can't do." "Jury duty was something I really wanted to take part in." Ms Lyons can lip-read but needs an Australian Sign Language interpreter to communicate.  The court said the law did not permit an interpreter to assist when the jury was in confidential deliberations, which would make her unable to perform her duties as a juror. The "decision not to include the appellant in a jury panel did not constitute unlawful discrimination in the performance of her functions or the exercise of her powers under Queensland law," the ruling said. Ms Lyons, 69, rejected concerns raised by lawyers for the government about ensuring the accuracy of translations, noting that interpreters were already allowed in other court proceedings. Describing the verdict as "disappointing", the Disabled People's Organisations Australia called for Queensland law to be changed to allow deaf people to serve as jurors.

^ This does seem like out-right discrimination by the Queensland Government on the deaf. A jury is supposed to be made of your peers and by not allowing the deaf to participate regulates them to second-class citizens. What would the Queensland Government do if a deaf person was on trial or a witness? Would they give them an interpreter? If the answer is "yes" then there is no reason a deaf person can not be given one and sit on a jury. ^

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-37560350