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A bill to raise the automatic excusal age for jury duty has been drawn from the biscuit tin and will now go through the parliamentary process.
The cut-off age is 65, but National MP Carl Bates wanted the age to increase to 72.
Bates told Morning Report increasing the age would be an opportunity to review the role seniors play in the civic duty of being on a jury.
"Our seniors are involved in running our sports organisations, community organisations, many churches across the country and the like."
Bates hoped the changes would lower costs and improve processing times at courts.
"When I visited a court room last year with Minister Goldsmith, court staff indicated to me it was just too easy for over-65s to press the unsubscribe button and that significantly increases the number of summons that have to be sent out, and the associated costs and processing times that go with that.
Jury summons were still sent out to those over 65, but many requested an automatic excusal.
"The more summons that you have to send out, the bigger the process for court staff and the court process, and the harder it is to fill our jury benches.
"What it currently does, it sets an expectation that it's ok to say 'I'm not turning up to jury duty'"
All of the standard reasons to be excused from jury duty would continue to apply.
The bill was drawn from the ballot on Tuesday, and Bates said the bill would "at least have a good hearing."
When questioned about changing the remuneration people on jury duty receive to make it more enticing, Bates explained Private Members Bills don't normally impact the financial implications, and is something for the minister.
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