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Original poster

Has anyone been on a jury of a very long trial?

188 replies

Zolf · 18/08/2023 18:41

Off the back of the Lucy Letby trial which lasted 10 months, I was wondering how it works logistically to be on a jury for that long? What happens if you have holidays booked? What if your employer don't pay you? I know mine wouldn't (very small company) and the compensation from the court is pitiful. Can't imagine being on a jury for that long!

OP posts:
WingedHermes · 18/08/2023 18:43

I just hope they get all the counselling they need. My sister was on a three week murder trial (not a tragic one) and even that had a long term impact upon her!

Kinneddar · 18/08/2023 18:45

They get told at the start how long it's expected to last & a lot will be excused at that point. I imagine after serving that length of time they'll be automatically exempt if they're ever called again

Ilikewinter · 18/08/2023 18:46

DH and I were just having the same conversation. I did jury service for 3 weeks and that was long enough. Cant imagine 10 months and the awful evidence they've had to sit through.

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onlylovecanhurtlikethis · 18/08/2023 19:12

Usually in cases like this - particularly involving children the judge will note that the jurors will be excused from ever having to be called again (my friend had to sit through a child murder case)

HappyScales · 18/08/2023 19:15

They have all been excused from serving on any future juries.

swanling · 18/08/2023 19:20

The ethics of subjecting lay people to the level of trauma involved in many jury trials is pretty questionable.

Rocknrollstar · 18/08/2023 19:22

I did three weeks on a case at the Old Bailey. I was a teacher but the judge said he would only excuse anyone who could prove they had a holiday booked. My mother was asked to volunteer for a 6 month trial. She didn’t but another woman did. She said she was a tea lady and her employer had to keep her job open for her and she preferred being in court.

ElthamLemur · 18/08/2023 19:47

It’s funny you should ask this as I am due to start jury service in a couple of weeks. I’ve read varying things about the reasons that will be accepted for not sitting in a longer trial if you are selected for one- they seem to be careful to say that it is at the judge’s discretion and not give hard and fast rules, but having flights booked (with evidence) seems to be a fairly acceptable one. However I have read about freelancers being told “tough” if they say they will lose income (the lost earnings compensation is not much).

I am very happy to do the service and consider it my civic duty. I actually had the misfortune to be related to the victim if a crime and I am grateful to the jury in that trial (which I attended every day for 10 days) for securing a conviction. But DH I am in 2 minds about whether or not to object if I am given a longer one, I guess it would depend how long- a month or 6 weeks might be OK, but 10 months? My reasons would be- projects at work (corporate job so nothing that can’t really be postponed though and there is statutory protection from being sacked), need to be available to look after DC during school holidays (during term time the court hours fit around school runs) and then it’s basically just “I’d like to be free to book a ski holiday”. Will be interesting to see how it pans out. I feel like the really long ones must be a lot of people without dependent children, maybe retired people, it can’t make for a massively varied mindset.

ElthamLemur · 18/08/2023 19:49

onlylovecanhurtlikethis · 18/08/2023 19:12

Usually in cases like this - particularly involving children the judge will note that the jurors will be excused from ever having to be called again (my friend had to sit through a child murder case)

It’s not really much, is it? The chance of being called twice must be very very small. I think the chance of being called once is quite small- I’m 50 and this is first time for me.

ElthamLemur · 18/08/2023 19:51

ElthamLemur · 18/08/2023 19:49

It’s not really much, is it? The chance of being called twice must be very very small. I think the chance of being called once is quite small- I’m 50 and this is first time for me.

Show quote history

To be clear, I meant being excused from being called again is not really much compensation for doing such long duty. I don’t mean that sitting on a child murder is “not really much”.

IAmTheUniverse · 18/08/2023 19:56

I have read about freelancers being told “tough” if they say they will lose income

I find this really concerning tbh.

I've never been called and only know one person personally who has.

But I'm self employed and do contract work. I'm also a lone parent and we rely on my income. My daughter is a teenager so childcare wouldn't be an issue but we'd end up homeless and in all kinds of financial bother if I couldn't work for an exended period of time. A couple of weeks I could suck up but beyond that I couldn't. I don't have any family who could help out either.

Kfjsjdbd · 18/08/2023 19:57

My DH was on a complex modern slavery case that ended in conviction. It lasted about 6 weeks. He got paid for the full amount luckily and it was good for us because I had just had a baby so the short-ish days worked well and I got to see him a lot. He found it difficult though and when he was called up again a few years later they let him off.

Kfjsjdbd · 18/08/2023 19:58

And, just to follow up, by DH was called up 3 times in about 10 years. He did the first two but not the third.

BMW6 · 18/08/2023 20:01

A colleague many years ago was a juror in a fraud case that went on for over a year IIRC.

We worked in the civil service so it wasn't a problem from the employers POV. Her work had to be covered by others still, so it impacted them.

CMOTDibbler · 18/08/2023 20:01

DH was on a jury for 16 weeks at the Old Bailey. It was pretty awful, and his employer was an arse about it. He did get paid as normal, but being on jury duty for so long was used to give him a poor appraisal and then was top of the list for redundancy shortly after it finished

WeWereInParis · 18/08/2023 20:02

Is being excused from serving again worth much? I mean, I understand why they do it and agree with it, but if that's all they offer people who've suffered through things like this it isn't much. The chances of being called up twice must be tiny.

Wakintoblueskies · 18/08/2023 20:05

ElthamLemur · 18/08/2023 19:49

It’s not really much, is it? The chance of being called twice must be very very small. I think the chance of being called once is quite small- I’m 50 and this is first time for me.

Show quote history

I’ve been called twice. I know people who’ve been called three times.

It’s luck of the draw! (Or misfortune imo).

IAmTheUniverse · 18/08/2023 20:06

CMOTDibbler · 18/08/2023 20:01

DH was on a jury for 16 weeks at the Old Bailey. It was pretty awful, and his employer was an arse about it. He did get paid as normal, but being on jury duty for so long was used to give him a poor appraisal and then was top of the list for redundancy shortly after it finished

That's really shit!

WibblyWobblyTimeyWimeyStuff · 18/08/2023 20:13

I have a criminal record, so will never be called up thankfully. I would HATE it.

DH is desperate to be called up, so he can get time of work.

I know someone who was on a jury for 7 weeks last year. I think she got part pay, and very limited expenses. She was out of pocket by nearly £1000. She was only contracted for 16 hours a week, but had been doing 24 to 26 hours a week for about 10 months, so she was used to the pay for those hours. For the 7 weeks, she only got the 16 hours a week pay. Messed up her finances for MONTHS...

I would imagine it's horrible to be on a jury for many many months - like 5 or 6 or more... And especially if it's a nasty case, like with Lucy Letby.

I would also imagine it having quite an impact on peoples jobs/careers if a case rattles on for many months.

Hamandpeas · 18/08/2023 20:22

I've been called 3 times. The first time I was around 22 and actually living out of the area but hadn't changed my details on the electorol role. I was excused as I lived out of area. The second time I was all set to go but got a phone call on the Friday (due to start Monday) to say that they had an ongoing long term case and therefore I wouldn't be needed.

The 3rd time I did attend but it was during covid and it was a Nightingale Court held at a Magistrates court which meant there was only one trial at a time. As soon as a jury was picked the rest of us were excused for a few days. I wasn't picked the first time but was the second time and did 3 days. After that finished we were all excused as they had no other cases.

mylittleprince · 18/08/2023 20:36

I've been called once but at the time I had a 1 year old and was a sahm with no childcare. I was excused.

However there is no way my employer now would be able to give me ten months off for any trial, realistically how many people can just leave their jobs for ten months. I'd be intrigued to know the ages and professions of the jury in a case like this.

Original poster
Zolf · 18/08/2023 20:49

I just can't get my head around 10 months of it. Even if you don't have a holiday booked or other commitments etc, are you just expected to put your life on hold for that long? And lots of jurors must be seriously out of pocket, particularly if they're self employed.

OP posts:
Onlyhadonejob · 18/08/2023 20:57

We had a man at work who was on jury service for 9 months. He really struggled when he came back. He was a manager and people stepped up to cover. The team had learnt to cope without him and he didn't really have a role. He took early retirement a year later.

missushbbb · 18/08/2023 20:58

WingedHermes · 18/08/2023 18:43

I just hope they get all the counselling they need. My sister was on a three week murder trial (not a tragic one) and even that had a long term impact upon her!

What kind of murder isn't tragic?

carlottacandle · 18/08/2023 21:04

I am constantly in fear of being picked. My mum was on a 7 week trial. She had to eat of excusing herself but was present while others went to the judge to ask to be excused. Loss of earnings, childcare (or lack there of) were all not good enough reasons to be excused. Judge just said they'd pay for childcare, expenses etc and that it was our duty. I guess if they excused every mother or self employed person then it wouldn't be a good mix from society. Because of that, I'm so paranoid I'll be called. I'm on secondment and my employer will not carry on paying me that if I'm not there. That's a huge drop for me right now. And my children would not settle well in childcare at all because of numerous issues. 10 months...sheer dread!! Not to even mention the emotional toll it would take