Just finished Jury Service on a 5-week case. AMA.

[PurpleWithRed]

I was called for Jury Service after Christmas for the first time ever. Got assigned to a relatively long and complex case. The case and sentencing are now in the public domain so AMA.

My friend was on a jury for almost a year. She was on full pay throughout. It was highly stressful negotiating with her work who were bellends about it but there was nothing she could do.

Good grief, a year! I did hear of someone who did 6 months and ended up losing his job as a result.

I did two weeks jury service about five years ago and really enjoyed it.

Like you, OP, I came away wanting to be more involved in the justice system, but life events scuppered that plan!

I'm truly shocked by the lack of pay aspect. I know plenty of people who live paycheque to paycheque .
Can you refuse on the basis that you wouldn't be able to feed your children or even get to the court. ? .. and if so surely that shifts the demographic of able jurors to the independently wealthy, those on out of work benefits and the retired which counts out most of the middle classes who have to pay a mortgage.

Yup, there is no obligation for your employer to pay you, and mine is a very small organisation who simply couldn’t afford to pay me and get in temporary support while I’m out. I think our lot were split 50:50 between those being paid and those not. It has definitely cost me money.

Jury Duty is an obligation, as the judge said to us several times. I suspect if you could prove extreme hardship you’d be excused or at least allowed to defer but if you are selected its up to the court to decide if you can be excused or not. You get paid travel expenses and a lunch allowance that’s quite generous (£5.71 from memory).

Can you take notes to remind yourself?

yes, but everything has to stay in court until you go to deliberate; then it goes with you to the deliberation room and stays there; then it gets shredded. We were also strictly forbidden from googling anything about the case or the defendants.

I took pages and pages of notes, some took no notes at all.

I've just finished doing it too! A big case which I really enjoyed. I'd like to do it again but like the OP have been told I'm excused for 10 years due to the case. A previous poster asked if you could make notes, yes you can but these remain in the court during the case and the jury room thereafter- you don't bring them home. I had very little waiting around as I was put on the case in my first day but others sat around for 2 weeks and didn't get a case!