Jury Service

[Gunge]

Well as the thread title suggests, I've been called up for exactly that. It's 2 months away but already a little apprehensive. Anyone done it? Any tips or advice? Is my boss obliged to pay me for the time off etc? When they see the state of me they'll probably assume I'm the bad lad lol.

 

[Clint]

Yeah I done it and felt the same as you. Can't disclose the cases but although it's a ball ache going it's better than working and very interesting. Just hope it's not something dreadful as some cases can last months...yes you will get paid.

 

[foxbat]

I did it last year. Your employer does not have to pay you while you're away but some (most?) will. It's particularly bad for the self-employed. You get compensated for travel (based on the cheapest method) and a daily pittance of an attendance rate.

For me it was nearly two weeks of complete boredom sitting around in the jury room waiting to be called. Finally something happened and I got on a 3 day trial right at the end. If you want to stand the best chance of avoiding trials then go for a deferral and nominate the first two weeks of a popular school holiday as when you're available. The second week of my time overlapped with a holiday week and there was basically no-one there as all the judges had gone on holiday.

I started off hating the whole idea of the thing but went away with a positive view of how the courts work on a very small budget. Less so of the jury system. I still think it's a pointless throwback practised only by a few countries in the world.

 

[Gunge]

So does jury service last a minimum of two weeks, depending on the case(s)? The letter I got states up to two weeks. But what if it's a case that goes on for more than that? Confused? Yup.

 

[Hoddy]

So from when I did it 8 odd years ago.

Yes, it is a minimum of 2 weeks. You have to inform your employer as soon as you say yes to the jury service request.

You can defer once. And only once. I did defer as it was the week my wife was due to give birth. You don’t know when you will get the call and you don’t get to choose. And that includes when you get recalled if you defer.

No, your employer does not have to pay you. What you employer is able to do is claim statutory jury service pay which is £125 odd a week. Don’t be surprise if that’s all you get unless you work for a big company with a conscious.

When you start and go in for a case you get drawn out of a pool of all of you. You get warned before the draw of a case how long it could run for. You can then ask the presiding judge to not be entered on the jury for a good reason. Like being self employed and it being a 8 week case is unreasonable. Just saying you don’t want to do it won’t wash. But if you’ve got a holiday booked or something like that, be prepared to have to provide evidence.

You can claim expenses for your jury time, sensible travel, parking and buses etc. But you usually get lunch and drinks provided out of the jurors canteen FOC.

You really cannot talk to anyone about your case, use any social media and mention it. I wouldn’t suggest reading any papers while your on the jury.

I was unlucky and got a 3 week murder case. A woman who killed her husband with a hammer. Not nice......

It’s just one of those things you gotta do when you get drawn.




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[Chippy_Tea]

So all you get is £125 per week how are people who have no savings supposed to make ends meet if they are called up even for a two week case?

 

[Hoddy]

So all you get is £125 per week how are people who have no savings supposed to make ends meet if they are called up even for a two week case?

I know there is something unbalanced about it

Here’s the official statutory government payment for jury service.

So it’s higher than I thought. But again as a “max” at £65 per day is pretty poor.

Edit -

Here’s the actual max statutory “pay” you get per day

View attachment 14400

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[foxbat]

So does jury service last a minimum of two weeks, depending on the case(s)? The letter I got states up to two weeks. But what if it's a case that goes on for more than that? Confused? Yup.

It's still exactly like Hoddy said. They call a lot of new people every Monday and Wednesday. As the two weeks pass you've got less and less chance of getting on a big one if one comes up as they try to select from the new intake to minimise the 'extra' time people have to take off.

On my first day there must have been 100+ people in the jury room and a big 8-10 week trial started. The judge called over at least 50 people to the court - standing room only! The names of all of us were randomised and then called out one by one until he'd got about 20. He basically needed 12 plus a few backups. As your name was called out you could say if you were OK to do it or couldn't do it for one of only 3 valid reasons: you knew someone connected with the trial, you were connected with a place involved or you had a hardship reason which they would check later. I called hardship and luckily he got all the numbers he needed without having to get into everyone's hardship reasons. So don't worry too much if a big one starts because they do try to make sure that they get willing jurors.

After that first busy day I was bored witless for 7 days until finally something came up. Some days I got sent home at lunchtime because nothing was going to start that day and one day I was told not to come in at all. Some of the others in my 'intake' that did a trial in the first week got discharged for good after the first week because it was so quiet in the second.

 

[Hoddy]

This was my case

http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/9105233.Sally_Challen_murder_trial__The_whole_story/

The one thing I was disappointed by was the fact none of the jurors were offered any support.

Literally the case was over, we were shown out a back door and that was it.

Needless to say me and a few guys went for a pint afterwards to get our heads together..


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[foxbat]

This was my case

http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/9105233.Sally_Challen_murder_trial__The_whole_story/

The one thing I was disappointed by was the fact none of the jurors were offered any support.

Literally the case was over, we were shown out a back door and that was it.

Needless to say me and a few guys went for a pint afterwards to get our heads together..

That's a nasty one. I heard similar stories from other jurors who had to see upsetting forensic evidence involving children. I'm glad I didn't have to do one like that.

 

[Gunge]

Thanks all for the insight. Just had a blast on me motorbike to find the court ( in another town! ) so I'm not caught out at the time. Decided I'm gonna take the train! Obviously no idea what the case will be so no point speculating and worrying. But I am seriously bothered by losing money if the boss doesn't pay me. I'll be having words tomorrow and if I won't get paid it's time to start dreaming up excuses not to do it.

 

[foxbat]

Thanks all for the insight. Just had a blast on me motorbike to find the court ( in another town! ) so I'm not caught out at the time. Decided I'm gonna take the train! Obviously no idea what the case will be so no point speculating and worrying. But I am seriously bothered by losing money if the boss doesn't pay me. I'll be having words tomorrow and if I won't get paid it's time to start dreaming up excuses not to do it.

I always wondered what happened if you don't return the court papers. You will have noticed that they're too tight to send it out recorded delivery so who's to say you're not on a 12 month sabbatical finding your inner self in a mongolian monastery or even that it was ever delivered at all? I bet they send out loads of them and rely on the serious looking paperwork to get enough responses.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I think its a disgrace you should be paid at the rate you are paid in your job not some random figure, £32 for half a day is pathetic i could not turn up for work half way through a day and expect to be given work to see me through the rest of the day and i doubt there are many here who could afford to lose that kind of money in a month.

 

[Gunge]

I always wondered what happened if you don't return the court papers. You will have noticed that they're too tight to send it out recorded delivery so who's to say you're not on a 12 month sabbatical finding your inner self in a mongolian monastery or even that it was ever delivered at all? I bet they send out loads of them and rely on the serious looking paperwork to get enough responses.

That's what I was thinking. Royal Mail 'lose' thousands of letters a week apparently. So if I claim not to have received the summons, how can they argue otherwise seeing as I didn't have to sign for its receipt?

 

[GhostShip]

It can be a difficult thing to get out of. The first time I was called, which was years ago, my then boss wrote to them to say I was running a large project (which was true), and he managed to get me off. Needless to say, I was called again within a couple of years and I’ve done it again since.

It’s really interesting and I would say will enhance your view of the British justice system. When you’re deliberating in the jury room over a verdict, you are fully aware that the decision you reach could have a huge impact on the life of the accused.

The only thing is that you could literally get anything. The first time I was chosen, I went in on the Monday morning and immediately found myself on a child abuse case. It was incredibly unpleasant and shocking, but justice was served!

 

[Leon103]

I did it 4 years ago. Gangland murder, 3 suspects. Bloody horrible ordeal. 3.5 months of hell. Threaten with a gun at the bus stop. Put in secure accommodation with around the clock police guards. Journalist always looking for a story. Apart from that it was fun meeting new people

 

[Zephyr259]

Probably a bit different being the Scottish system but I've managed to get exemption 3 times now. First time was because I'd just started a uni course, then the last 2 have been due to it causing havoc with the offshore rotation, counts as undue expense of business impact. Only down side is I get another citation within a year. Kinda want to do it so it's out of the way for a while but it's unlikely to ever not cause too much of a clash with work.

 

[Dutto]

An interesting topic but one that I can't contribute to because I'm 5 years older than the maximum age of 70! :thumb:

I presume that the powers that be don't want jurors or judges (who have a similar age limit of 70) to start nodding off halfway through a trial.

However, I still wince at the thought of my Mum's comment after she had been on Jury Duty at Lincoln. "I could see the man was guilty from the moment he walked into the dock!" was her summary of the trial proceedings! :no: :no:

 

[dad_of_jon]

That's what I was thinking. Royal Mail 'lose' thousands of letters a week apparently. So if I claim not to have received the summons, how can they argue otherwise seeing as I didn't have to sign for its receipt?

Our royal mail aren't too good - two broken beer swaps, a soggy meerkat. etc... they even broke our letterbox by trying to ram something through it. I heard it mentioned at our delivery office that one postie doesn't card failed deliveries... best of luck knowing if something is waiting for you. As for letters we often receive letters for two doors down from us, I wonder if anyone else is getting some of our letters.

 

[Graz]

I got called upon to due my duty a few years back. Massive anticlimax in the end. I was actually quite looking forward to it, turned up the first day, got briefed as to what may or may not happen then much sitting around. Released for lunch, went for a pint in the 'Spoons. Went back bit more sitting around, then sent home as there were no trials ready to proceed. Went in the next day, much the same, told to call the next day to see if we were needed, seem to remember we weren't so went to work. Day after that turned up again, more sitting around and then the call! But only as far as the court room for the judge to explain that we wouldn't be seeing a case but thanks for coming. What was nice is that he said in times gone by we'd have just been sent away but he said he'd like to chat to us to explain the whys and wherefores + we got to see the inside of a court room. In essence a few case had been rejected as the evidence hadn't been good enough + some changes of pleas etc. so nothing to be heard that week.

Maybe I'll get called up again one day?