A Supreme Court trial involving parties from Bendigo has been delayed a week and a half before it was set to start, as a surge in COVID-19 cases forces a further postponement of jury trials.
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Criminal jury trials in the Supreme and County Courts were due to resume on July 20, the date the Bendigo trial was scheduled to begin in Melbourne.
New jury trials were first suspended on March 16.
Three months later, the courts announced the July date for jury trials to resume when the number of new COVID-19 cases slowed, but the resurgence of the virus in recent weeks has led to a change in plans.
People who received summons for jury duty will be notified and the courts will contact parties in the matters that were scheduled to begin.
Work is under way to determine a new recommencement date.
"We are conscious of the impact of this decision and will continue the work to ensure everything necessary is in place for the resumption of criminal jury trials as soon as it is appropriate to do so," Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Ferguson and County Court Chief Justice Peter Kidd said in a statement.
All Victorian courts and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal have continued to operate.
