Jury Service Selection

[GinJeanie]

My DH has just received a letter to do jury service - it's the third time! The first was when he was a mature student and around exams so he was excused, the second time he turned up and wasn't needed and now he's had the call again. He feels it's important to take part so has no problem with this.
I'm not unusual in that I've never been summoned. I'm not sure if I'd like to do it or not (DH's second time was coroner's court which would likely be tough to hear). I was wondering how many times others have been selected? I read online of a man who served five times!

Dm was called around 3 times in quite a short space of time and always got excused.
Df was called up once when he was about 6 months off the top age limit. He did it.

I was called up once but excused-the first day coincided with the first day of my finals!

I was called for jury service once. Hundreds of people turned up - the roll call itself took forever. Some juries were formed but my name wasn't called out. Other cases were announced but deferred. We were called back the next morning but then dismissed. It was interesting to see the courtroom and observe it all.

I haven't been called yet, DH has once which was a massive stress as he's a director at a fairly small company so doesn't even take 2 week holidays as he wouldn't want to be out of the business that long but luckily they called the week before to say he wasn't needed.
Does anyone know how it works with childcare? I look after my 15 month old on a Monday and only work part time tues to Fri when we have childcare so what would I do on a Monday if I was called up?

Wouldn't DH have to take one day off?

Old Bailey calls only from the London area. When I was there I lived in South London and most people with me were from a tranche of South London postcodes and they just work their way round like with the other London courts.

I was called got the first time a couple of weeks ago but I didn't want to do it so listed a few reasons and they've excused me.

Doesn't that mean that they'll just call you for a different time though or have they permanently excused you?

It doesn’t seem random to me. I’ve never been called, nor have my parents, sibling or child. Or my DH, his parents, sibling, children, nor any of our nieces and nephews.

I was called up at 19, when I was living abroad. The letter went to my parents’ house (in England) and my mum got me excused before I even knew about it. I’ve never been called up again.

A friend got called up when he was living in Glasgow; he said there’s a shortage of jurors there. He was selected to serve on an assault case, and sworn in, however the case collapsed within 20 minutes when the plaintiff refused to testify.

Called up twice, first time I sat i the waiting room for 2 weeks as it was near to Christmas so apparently lots of defendents didn't turn up in case they were sent to prison over the holidays! Second time was selected for big case and was there 4 months, was grim.

I have been called twice and selected both times too!

I won’t bore you with the details as I answered a similar thread a few days ago but suffice to say the first time was really interesting and we were treated extremely well, (mid 1970’s). Second time - a few months ago - was awful! Sitting around for hours on end, no refreshments provided, horrendous bullying in the deliberation room and it took weeks and weeks to finally be paid my full expenses.

Never again! 😡 (I would pay the £1000 fine or hopefully find a reason to be excused if they dare call me again.)

Why are you all desperate to be excused?

You should make every effort to go, being excused isn’t clever.

I hope I'm never called. I run my own business and couldn't afford to just close it for weeks on end. My clients rely on my services so they can work themselves!

Never been called and neither has my husband or any of my adult children. I only know two people who have been called and both of them more than once. Weird that it seems to be nothing or lots!

Because people have mortgages and bills to pay and can't afford to be off work for an unspecified amount of time?

I've been on the electoral roll for 22 years and have never been called. I'd be thrilled to do it. Of my immediate family/friends group, only my dad (long dead) has ever been called up and that was before I was born, I think late 70s.

A couple of former colleagues did it in quick succession, one a drug dealing trial and the other was child abuse. Guilty and not guilty verdicts respectively.

@Mytholmroyd - You're right. It does seem strange that lots of people never get called up while others do on more than one occasion!

Yes and you have no control over how long it will be. Could be disastrous for self employed people especially.

I did it in summer 21, luckily I wasn’t working much at the time. I had a v short case and we were released after that. I found it fascinating

Exactly. If the government want people to do jury duty then they need to be compensated accordingly.

4 months! Wow.. that is a service to the community.
Many employers don’t pay and I am self employed and would really struggle with 4 months loss income. Do they check financially and psychologically you are not suffering for this huge public service?

I’ve done it twice and one man on our last jury was on his fifth stint!

I was called once about 20 odd years ago but was single parent to a small baby so I was excused. Never been called since.

I’d love to do it but sadly have never been called up. I don’t know anyone apart from my mum who has, and she never actually got to hear a case.

Called up twice and made it to the jury each time. The second time there was also a trial pending which was likely to last several weeks but was excused as I was due to be in hospital over that longer period.

I'm hoping that's it now. 🌹