Chief Justice Richard Ground is no longer pushing for smaller jury panels to decide the fate of defendants in Supreme Court trials.

Bermuda?s top legal official has previously spoken publicly in support of the idea of cutting the number of jurors from 12 to as few as seven people.

And in a recent interview with , Mr. Ground reinforced this stance, stating that in a small, tight-knit community like Bermuda it seems to be getting increasingly difficult to pick jurors not related or known to defendants, complainants or witnesses involved in cases.

It can now take hours for a jury to be selected ahead of high-profile trials.

The legal chief said he still supports the Island?s justice system moving in line with some Caribbean countries, where juries of less than 12 are common. Jamaica uses seven.

But he revealed there is little support for such a shake-up among his team of six judges ? so any push for change has been dropped.

Mr. Ground added: ?I personally would like to see smaller juries of seven or nine.

?But I do not think there?s any real support for that. I do not see it happening ? not even the other judges agree with me. I?m out on a limb.

?I?m not pushing for that any more.?

Mr. Ground, who served as a Puisne Judge in Bermuda between 1992 and 1998 during his first spell on the Island, said jury selection now appears to be getting more difficult.

?You do have to be careful in smaller communities. That?s why we tend to ask every juror before they are sworn, do they know witnesses or anyone involved in the case.?

The Chief Justice, however, said the current jury system works quite well, with jurors ?on the whole, doing their duty with great seriousness and application?.

He added: ?I?m a fan of the jury system. It?s a good way of deciding these issues and getting a proper resolution. By and large, they achieve this.?

Meanwhile, another potential radical change ? the introduction of television cameras in Bermuda?s courtrooms ? has been ruled out under Mr. Ground?s watch.

Film crews are regularly allowed into American courts and plans for limited camera access has recently been discussed in the UK.

Mr. Ground, however, said he is firmly opposed to the idea.

?I think that they influence the participants,? he said. ?Everyone starts playing to the camera: counsel, witnesses and the judge.?

He added: ?No matter how inconspicuous the camera is, everyone knows it?s there and it changes their attitudes.

?I do not think that helps.?