The court may permit the parties or their attorneys to conduct the examination of prospective jurors or may itself conduct the examination. In the latter event, the court shall permit the parties or their attorneys to supplement the examination by such further inquiry as it deems proper or shall itself submit to the prospective jurors such additional questions of the parties or their attorneys as it deems proper.
Rule 47.01.Examination of jurors.
Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceRule 47.01 lets the trial judge choose who questions prospective jurors during voir dire: the judge may hand the questioning to the parties' attorneys, conduct it alone, or conduct it and then let the attorneys ask follow-up questions or submit further questions for the judge to ask.
Full Text of Rule 47.01
Amendment History
The source reproduced here (current through June 18, 2026) records no amendment to this rule since its original adoption — no History line appears for it in the compiled rules. For the underlying adopting order and any later amendments, see the West’s Rules & Procedures.
Plain-English Summary
Before a civil trial starts, both sides get a chance to question the pool of prospective jurors -- a process called voir dire. Rule 47.01 leaves the format up to the judge. Some judges hand the questioning to the attorneys and let them run the process. Others prefer to ask the questions themselves, often to keep voir dire moving or to control how it unfolds in the courtroom.
When a judge conducts voir dire directly, the rule guarantees the parties a way to add to the record. The judge must let attorneys ask further questions of their own, or must ask the jurors any additional questions the attorneys submit. Either way, no party is shut out of exploring a juror's background or possible bias -- the judge decides only who does the asking, not whether the asking happens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who questions jurors in a Kentucky civil trial -- the judge or the lawyers?
Either can. Rule 47.01 gives the trial judge discretion to let the parties' attorneys conduct voir dire, to conduct it alone, or to run the questioning and then open the floor for follow-up.
If the judge asks all the voir dire questions, can my lawyer still follow up?
Yes. When the judge handles voir dire, Rule 47.01 requires the judge to either let the attorneys ask additional questions directly or ask the jurors any further questions the attorneys submit.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure (Ky. R. Civ. P. 47.01). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Kentucky (Ky. Const. § 116). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
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