Do you have to dress smart for jury service?

[Cocolapew]

Is it ok to wear jeans and trainers?

No go with comfy, tidy and layered! It can either be too hot or chilly in there. You will end up waiting around a lot so comfy is essential.

I am tidy!
It's in 3 weeks so will probably still be in black linen ankle grazer trousers but I always wear trainers.
Maybe if I dress wrong they'll kick me out? 🤞🤞🤞

There is no dress code, just be comfortable. Having said that I'd feel that dressing smartly might give me a little more gravitas as a confidence booster.
I was at work when I did Jury service so went in smart office clothes because when not required they send you away and I had to head back to the office.
Take a good book. It can be a bit like being in a big brother house, thrown into the company of a group of strangers for three weeks.

Urgh, I really don't want to do it.
I only need to be available for a week which is good. Unfortunately it's the last week of my holidays

I wore smartish because I went back to work if we were released early (only because I was just back from maternity leave!)

I did read once that someone got sent home for wearing a FCUK t-shirt, I'm not sure how true that was but you might want to consider any messages from logos etc.

There is no dress code. I wore my usual clothes, basically smart casual.
Lots wore jeans, trainers etc. Some people wore trackies or looked borderline scruffy. Jeans and trainers will be fine.

Cocolapew lots of employers will give special leave for jury service so you don't have to use up annual leave - worth asking?

No. I googled/ asked on MN before I did jury service and the consensus was wear work clothes. I wear a uniform for work so aimed for smart casual. I didn't own many smart casual clothes, so it was often smart jeans with a decent top. There was a wide variation. Some people wore suits, some wore joggers and a t-shirt, so just about anything is ok.

I agree with pp no logos. I agree to take a good book as there can be a lot of waiting around

I loved jury service.

I'll look into that about leave, thanks.
My work clothes are jeans and trainers
I was going to aim for smart casual.
So can you be sent home at anytime during the day if you aren't bring used?

I wouldn't dress up but I wouldn't dress in weekend gardening clothes or shorts and vest top type clothes either.

Probably for me it would be black jeans or trousers (instead of blue jeans) and a smartish top that doesn't have big logos or pictures so for example I wouldn't wear my motorhead or skunk anansie tshirt.
I'd wear trainers or my leather boots but both are plain black ones so would work.
All of the above would have to be comfy though.

I was called up a couple of months ago, but got excused so didn't have to go, but I asked about dress code before that and was told that there was no specific dress code but vaguely smart is how most people go.

Nope

Dress comfortably, and wear layers. It can be both really hot and really cold in quick succession!

Take a book or some magazines or ipad - the first day could be really boring until you get called.

Once you're selected you probably won' have long periods of doing nothing, but quite a lot of small periods so have something easy to dip in and out of.

If you like nice coffee - take your own in!

I did JS a couple of months ago. Was a v rewarding experience.

Hot tip - you don't get a transcript of witness testimony so make sure you take proper detailed notes!!!

Vaguely smart I can do.

It can be a bit like being in a big brother house, thrown into the company of a group of strangers for three weeks.

Yes to this!

It felt like we developed quite intense relationships with total strangers, then never to see them again!

I found it more tiring than the short court hours woudl suggest.

I went when I was 18 and wore trainers and hoodies and stuff !

I wore casual dresses with tights or dark jeans with a jumper. There isn’t a dress code, people wear all sorts. Definitely take books, there’s so much waiting around!

I had to do Jury Service at the Old Bailey. It was freezing, it started in November and ended just before Christmas

I wore jeans and boots. No-one batted an eyelid

Almost six weeks

It's always too hot or too cold, and I was a witness in a case where they turned off the court ventilation because it was too noisy to hear properly. As it was a civil case, I had to be there for the whole hearing, oozing onto my horrible uncomfortable chair.

Helpful tip - assuming all courts have the same airport style security, you might want to have footwear that are easy on and off, because you'll have to take them off every time you come back into the building! . Every opportunity I had to get out in the fresh air I took, but it meant faffing with my boots or trainers, along with everyone else!

And yes, you can get sent home during the day sometimes, for any number of reasons. We did a morning court session and the judge began by saying he had to go to an emergency dentist appointment in the afternoon, so we were only sitting in the morning!

You don't use your holiday allowance for Jury Service. Here's a link that covers pretty much every aspect of jury service.

www.gov.uk/jury-service/taking-time-off-work

I think you’re in roughly the same area as me, OP. Jeans and trainers will be fine. When I did jury service (and was selected for 3 different juries 🤦🏻‍♀️), jurors’ attire ranged from full business dress to tracksuits and trainers. I was usually going to work after and my work is smart/casual so I was often in jeans and flip flops as it was August and warm. Layers is a good shout as air con can make the court chilly.