A Sydney law graduate who argued his command of the English language was too limited to be a juror was knocked back by the Supreme Court and ordered to continue deliberations in a murder trial, according to a judgment published after the guilty verdict.

The decision, delivered on July 26 but made public after the verdict on August 4, revealed a juror in the murder trial of Sydney man Sateki Siale asked to be discharged from the jury after the first day of the trial.

The juror, known as number 110-72, telephoned the sheriff's office that night "and informed the recorded message that he was concerned about ... his ability to continue as a juror in light of his limited English language skills", Justice Peter Garling said.

The defence argued the juror should be discharged and the trial should proceed with an entirely new panel of jurors.