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Original poster

Jury duty

44 replies

ThatsBullshirt · 19/09/2023 14:23

A couple of weeks ago I got a jury duty citation and whilst it was a pain, I was fine doing it. Until there were school strikes scheduled for the same week and now I have zero childcare for my two young kids. DH cannot get off work as it is only him and one other person running the entire business and we have no family nearby that are available for full day childcare. I asked for an excusal and was told no and essentially told that as I hadn't actually been picked yet (won't even know if I'm needed until the night before) that they couldn't give me an excusal.

I honestly don't have any other option than to take my kids with me if they insist I go in. What will they do if I do that?

OP posts:
MatthewsMumFromTikTok · 19/09/2023 14:25

Your DH will have to insist on the time off then

He's the other parent in this

Original poster
ThatsBullshirt · 19/09/2023 14:26

He cannot. And he's due to do jury duty two weeks after me which obviously he has to do. He cannot also take the time off for mine.

OP posts:
LubaLuca · 19/09/2023 14:27

Better for your husband to make arrangements than for you to make a show of turning up with kids at the court. These things happen, work carries on without us if we can't be there.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Legal issues
Ostryga · 19/09/2023 14:30

Speak to the school, they will have provisions for the children that have to be in, so if you explain the issue I’m sure your kids will be able to go in on strike days.

Original poster
ThatsBullshirt · 19/09/2023 14:31

It's not "making a show". It's literally my only option. My husband cannot take the time off. Work literally would not be able to continue without him as they are a delivery service and his coworker currently has an injury that means he cannot make the deliveries.

OP posts:
LubaLuca · 19/09/2023 14:33

ThatsBullshirt · 19/09/2023 14:26

He cannot. And he's due to do jury duty two weeks after me which obviously he has to do. He cannot also take the time off for mine.

Seriously? What are the odds of that? I've been dreaming of being selected my whole adult life.

Anyway, your case isn't guaranteed to be finished before he starts his stint. These things don't always run to a tidy schedule. I think he'd have grounds for an excusal on those grounds, worth trying.

Original poster
ThatsBullshirt · 19/09/2023 14:35

LubaLuca · 19/09/2023 14:33

Seriously? What are the odds of that? I've been dreaming of being selected my whole adult life.

Anyway, your case isn't guaranteed to be finished before he starts his stint. These things don't always run to a tidy schedule. I think he'd have grounds for an excusal on those grounds, worth trying.

Show quote history

They've been working through our family recently. Both my husband and I have done jury duty in the past so it's not an issue for us - but childcare is!

OP posts:
AgentProvocateur · 19/09/2023 14:40

You’ll need to attend on Day 1 without your children and plead your case if you get chosen. Is there a school
mum who could look after them for you?

NewUserName23 · 19/09/2023 14:40

I did Jury Duty recently, I don't know if it's the same in every area but I got a phonecall telling me there was a case going ahead and she was checking if I could stay until the following week if I was selected. I went in but someone was excused because he had a doctors appointment. I tried to use the childcare excuse because it was the summer holidays but was basically told tough, find somewhere for the kids.

Original poster
ThatsBullshirt · 19/09/2023 14:43

AgentProvocateur · 19/09/2023 14:40

You’ll need to attend on Day 1 without your children and plead your case if you get chosen. Is there a school
mum who could look after them for you?

Unfortunately not. I literally have no one that can watch them. It would have been okay if they'd have been normal school days with after-school clubs and DH would have only had to leave a little early from work to collect them.

It's not that I am looking for an excuse to get out of it. It's not top on my list of things I want to do but I definitely don't mind it.

OP posts:
Reugny · 19/09/2023 14:46

NewUserName23 · 19/09/2023 14:40

I did Jury Duty recently, I don't know if it's the same in every area but I got a phonecall telling me there was a case going ahead and she was checking if I could stay until the following week if I was selected. I went in but someone was excused because he had a doctors appointment. I tried to use the childcare excuse because it was the summer holidays but was basically told tough, find somewhere for the kids.

They are used to everyone trying that.

comedownwithme · 19/09/2023 14:57

@LubaLuca

Seriously? What are the odds of that?

Both of my early 20s adult DC were selected in the same month. A month after I was given a permanent excusal. I don't believe it is as random as they say in some cases. The odds of that happening much be huge.

Ostryga · 19/09/2023 15:38

Op, the school will have them in. Just ask them. They have provisions for things like this over strike periods

Original poster
ThatsBullshirt · 19/09/2023 15:47

Ostryga · 19/09/2023 15:38

Op, the school will have them in. Just ask them. They have provisions for things like this over strike periods

As someone who has family working in primary schools for many years (Scotland) I have never heard of this and there is no mention of it anywhere on the council or school websites.

OP posts:
LadyChilli · 19/09/2023 15:54

Unless it's very different here (I'm in Scotland) you don't actually show up on day one. You just call a number the night before and they tell you if you're needed. On day one being "needed" meant waiting at home for a phone call which came at around 9.30 to see if I'd be available the next day. I found them very reasonable when I said nicely that I would of course be available but it wasn't convenient and they didn't call me in.

Ostryga · 19/09/2023 15:56

Well yes they don’t advertise it as then everyone will want their kids in so they don’t take time off.

They offer places to the vulnerable children, so school will be open. You just need to speak to them.

Comefromaway · 19/09/2023 15:58

You should have asked for a deferral rather than to be excused.

You could have deferred on the grounds that the week you were chosen for co-incided with both the school strikes and the situation with your husband's work/his jury duty. They would have then asked you for a list of dates you were available for.

Original poster
ThatsBullshirt · 19/09/2023 15:59

LadyChilli · 19/09/2023 15:54

Unless it's very different here (I'm in Scotland) you don't actually show up on day one. You just call a number the night before and they tell you if you're needed. On day one being "needed" meant waiting at home for a phone call which came at around 9.30 to see if I'd be available the next day. I found them very reasonable when I said nicely that I would of course be available but it wasn't convenient and they didn't call me in.

I'm in Scotland. In the past, and as far as the letter states still, you phone the night before and hear an automated message which tells you if you are needed the next morning and you show up at the allotted time. Then you sat around in a room until you were allocated to a jury.

OP posts:
Hellohah · 19/09/2023 16:05

NewUserName23 · 19/09/2023 14:40

I did Jury Duty recently, I don't know if it's the same in every area but I got a phonecall telling me there was a case going ahead and she was checking if I could stay until the following week if I was selected. I went in but someone was excused because he had a doctors appointment. I tried to use the childcare excuse because it was the summer holidays but was basically told tough, find somewhere for the kids.

That's odd.

DS was 7ish. I got called for a 7 week case which would take me into Feb half term. I said they pay an amount which covers my salary but not any extra for childcare, so how would I afford it? They excused me as it would mean I'd be out of pocket.

Others tried for excusal for Drs appointments, one for a holiday and various other reasons, all denied.

It was just myself and a self employed chap, so our judge excused for financial reasons, but thinking about it, it was a fraud case. I guess me paying £30/day out of my own pocket to be there would probably mean I'd have been biased. I don't know.

Must be different in different areas.

comedownwithme · 19/09/2023 16:08

They will call you on the morning of day one (if they have their shit together, sometimes it can roll to day 2) and ask you if you are fit and well to attend. Once that's over you are put in to the ballot and will either be called and asked to attend that afternoon/next morning or told to await a call the next day (if you don't get a call you phone the automated line in the evening)

comedownwithme · 19/09/2023 16:08

That's in Scotland ^

How it's being done now

purpleboy · 19/09/2023 16:11

Can't the family who work in primary school have them? Presuming they are striking too?
Do you not know a single parent from the child's class?
Work colleague?
Have you even asked school?

NewUserName23 · 19/09/2023 16:12

Hellohah · 19/09/2023 16:05

That's odd.

DS was 7ish. I got called for a 7 week case which would take me into Feb half term. I said they pay an amount which covers my salary but not any extra for childcare, so how would I afford it? They excused me as it would mean I'd be out of pocket.

Others tried for excusal for Drs appointments, one for a holiday and various other reasons, all denied.

It was just myself and a self employed chap, so our judge excused for financial reasons, but thinking about it, it was a fraud case. I guess me paying £30/day out of my own pocket to be there would probably mean I'd have been biased. I don't know.

Must be different in different areas.

Show quote history

I told the court that I was concerned because my childcare provider takes payment unfront and allow for no cancellations so if I booked the DC's into holiday club and the case finished early then I've paid for nothing. The court told me to keep invoices and it would all be covered. In the end I got someone to sit with the DC's as I didn't want to fork out £300...glad I did because the case got cancelled after 1 day!

truthhurts23 · 19/09/2023 16:16

Your husband has to take off work to look after his children,
there is no “can’t” it’s the law
or he can take the kids into work with him

Original poster
ThatsBullshirt · 19/09/2023 16:17

comedownwithme · 19/09/2023 16:08

They will call you on the morning of day one (if they have their shit together, sometimes it can roll to day 2) and ask you if you are fit and well to attend. Once that's over you are put in to the ballot and will either be called and asked to attend that afternoon/next morning or told to await a call the next day (if you don't get a call you phone the automated line in the evening)

Thank you for clearing this up for me. I didn't know that it had changed as the letters and how they tell you to call for the automated message. Hopefully I'll be able to plead my case to whoever calls and they will understand.

Like I've already said, whilst it's an inconvenience, I am not particularly bothered about having to do jury duty. It's just incredibly poor timing because of the unexpected strikes.

OP posts: