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.

Instead, the juror was called to give evidence in the King Street court complex about his command of the English language on the second day of the trial.

The court heard the juror was born in an Asian country and came to Australia at the age of 14.

He completed the Higher School Certificate in Australia and graduated from "a university in Sydney", which was not named, with a combined commerce/law degree.

"Those courses were taught in the English language and examined in the English language," Justice Garling said.

The court heard the juror was employed in an occupation in commerce "which requires him to speak both in his native language and in English".

"When asked to explain his difficulty with the English language, the juror expressed concern that, particularly over long periods of time, or towards the end of longer periods of time, he may have some difficulty in following the evidence," Justice Garling said.

Justice Garling said it was "important to note that, to me, as I observed the juror, he had no difficulty in understanding the questions I asked of him and he gave answers which were entirely appropriate to those questions".

He added the juror's answers "did not exhibit to me any difficulty in understanding and responding appropriately to those questions".

After giving "careful and earnest consideration to the issue", Justice Garling said he was "not satisfied that the juror's ability to perform the functions of a juror is impaired to an extent which would impact upon his satisfactory discharge of the performance of his functions as a juror".

He did so after after listening to the juror's evidence and "having regard to the fact that he obtained his Higher School Certificate in Australia, including obtaining a pass in the English language" and two tertiary degrees, "both of which were taught and examined in English, and both of which have complex issues as a part of them".

The trial continued and Siale was found guilty on August 4 of murdering his neighbour, Kelly Ventigadoo, with a smashed beer bottle in the early hours of October 11, 2015, at Lakemba in Sydney's south-west.

The court will hear sentencing submissions in Siale's case on September 15.