Vic CFO in trouble for skipping jury duty

A Victorian judge has warned that people can't decide to be jurors "when it suits them" as a senior executive faces jail for skipping jury duty to work on his company's initial public offering.

Powerwrap chief financial officer Sean Slattery faces up to three months in prison for not turning up for jury service in October last year.

That is because the Victorian Supreme Court on Wednesday granted the Juries Commissioner's application to penalise Slattery for not attending jury service.

Justice John Forrest warned Slattery he faces imprisonment, or a fine of more than $4000.

"There is a real prospect that I am considering imprisonment," the judge said.

He said the court "cannot operate on the whims of commercial interests" and that other people put aside work commitments for their jury duty.

"Why would that differ from a plumber who makes arrangements?" Justice Forrest said.

Slattery, who does not dispute he did not turn up for jury duty in October, said work had prevented him from attending.

"I'm a chief financial officer of a company that is about to conduct an initial public offer," he told the court.

Slattery was scheduled to meet with potential investors on October 12, the same day he was due at court after receiving a summons in September.

"I was required to attend these meetings," he said.

If he hadn't attended those investor meetings, Slattery says there would have been a "potential conflict of raising equity" for his company.

Slattery says he doesn't take jury duty lightly.

"I wasn't asking to be excused, I was asking for a deferral," he said.

The CFO of the financial services company said he has previously attended jury service and was "happy" to do it again at a later date.

But Justice Forrest said people cannot choose to be jurors only "when it suits them".

"A fundamental requirement of a democratic society is that members of the public participate in jury service," he said.

Counsel for the Juries Commissioner, Daniel McCredden, said Slattery had been granted a deferral in May, which was why he was not granted one in October.

Slattery, who represented himself in court, has been advised to seek legal help before the court hears submissions about penalties next week.

Powerwrap has delayed its IPO until March, the Financial Review reports.