The Juries Act 1976 is amended -

(a) in section 7 -

(i) by the designation of that section as subsection (1), and

(ii) by the insertion of the following subsection:

"(2) A person who is deaf shall not be ineligible for jury service by reason only of his or her requiring the services of a sign language interpreter for the purpose of enabling him or her to perform the duties of a juror effectively.",

and

(b) under the heading "Other persons" in Part I of the First Schedule, by the substitution of:

"A person who does not, in the opinion of the court, have sufficient mental or intellectual capacity to serve as a juror."

for

"A person who suffers or has suffered from mental illness or mental disability and on account of that condition either -

(a) is resident in a hospital or other similar institution, or

(b) regularly attends for treatment by a medical practitioner.".