Jury Service - never called?

[Idontevenknowmyname]

Random chat with some friends last night, and none of us had ever been called for jury service. All late 40s, have been on the electoral roll since 18, lived in the UK all our lives. I mentioned it to DF on the phone this morning and he’s never been called either, he’s 78, always been registered to vote. He said he didn’t think my brother or his wife had ever been called either. DM been called once but was dismissed after a few hours of waiting on day one, and never needed to go back in. DH was called once when he was a student living away but registered to vote at his family address, they deferred him but he was never contacted after that.

Is this unusual? I read about people being called repeatedly and it being a major disruption with work/kids/traumatic cases. I like to think I would be a good juror and would do my best in the role, but it seems so random as to if you get picked.

Disclaimer: will probably get a letter tomorrow now…

I was the same early 40s never been called. Always wanted to. Only know of my Sister who was called years ago when she was 18. I got called a couple of months ago but was on holiday but they wanted 3 weeks I could do. I ended up doing it a week after holiday. Had a horrible case that really affected all of us jurors. We managed to reach a unanimous verdict of guilty. When we gave our decision we were told of something else that he had been convicted of which made our guilty verdict sit a lot easier.

The exemption for being a solicitor were removed in 2004 in England and Wales. I believe that medical personnel such as doctors are exempt.

OMG that's horrific. Your poor Mum.

I'd be interested to do it, but would be concerned that my fellow jurors either wouldn't care and just want to get out of there ASAP, or, like you describe, think they know better.

Is there any recourse for this? Is someone supposed to supervise the jury so they rely only on the evidence presented to them, rather than their own thoughts and opinions?

When my friend served, it was put to the defendant (fraud case involving conning a little old lady out of a load of savings) that he'd been seen getting in a red fiesta outside her house. "Not me" he said "I don't have a red fiesta".

My friend went out for a smoke in the lunch break and watched the defendant cross the road and get into a red fiesta in the car park opposite!

He spoke to someone when he went back in and was told to ignore what he'd just seen and not tell the other jurors.

Luckily in his case there was plenty of other evidence against him to convict.

I'm in my 50s and never been called, DH and DM have both been called but not had to sit.

I just looked at the list of exemptions/excusals for NI and am amazed there's anyone left to do it though! All medical staff, pharmacists, vets, teachers, school inspectors, university teaching staff, clergy, barristers, solicitors, police and prison staff, and anyone with even the slightest connection to the law (including students, solicitors clerks and court security staff), anyone in the civil service at grade 5 or above - they must be excluding half the adult population, and certainly a lot of the professional ones.

@ElaborateCushion
She said the judge tries to direct the jury after all evidence has been heard and (in her opinion) was quite clear that he felt there was no room for reasonable doubt and they should find him guilty (without explicitly saying so) but the other jurors were either too thick or too arrogant to pay any notice.

Some of them treated it almost like armchair detective game, putting forward their own theories “I think the older sister did it”; “how can we be sure a crime has even been committed here?” Despite multiple paediatricians saying the child had been violently attacked and the only person home alone with the baby at the time was the defendant.

My mother says she still thinks of the little boy sometimes and wishes she could have got him justice 😢

I’ve been called twice and never sat in a trial husband was called once he was on a trial of a man who did something to his ex girlfriend he got 5 years only other person I know who was on trial was my stepdad’s friend who was on trial jury of father bastard and his daughter upset the man for a while

I've been called 4 times now ( I'm 33) haven't been on a jury tho as sent home all 3 times
The fourth time I was heavily pregnant.
No one else in my family have been called:/ Massive pain in the ass

I have never been called and none of my family members or friends have either.

But I work in HR so deal with employees that are called for jury service in terms of sorting their time off work. We have 500 staff and roughly get one employee called a year but it varies, sometimes none for a couple of years and then suddenly a handful called in quick succession.

I was called at 22, and now I come to think of it, my sister and mum have completed JS in the past as well. Mine was very long and very dull - there is an awful lot of waiting around. I wouldn't want to do it again!

Dh and I (mid 50s) have never been called, both ds(just turned 20) and his friend were Co-incidentally called during the summer holidays .

Scary to think someone's life could change on the opinion of a wet behind the ears 20 year old! He didn't get chosen in the ballot, which he was pleased about. His his friend got a deferral as was on holiday.

I have never been called up yet. DF hasn't and never will as he's 76. DM was called up twice in 2.5 years living in London in the 70s.

DM did two different courts and this was the one in central London. One of the jurors on lunch decided to go to Baker Street - 10 mins walk from the court. She bumped into a friend and yapping away. She was late for the afternoon session. Judge made her stood up and apologise and was fined £80. This was 1973 and £80 is about £1000 today and £1000 is the max fine now.

A friend was called up in 2006. She went to the court and was selected. Thing was one of the people in the court was her sister's ex. She never knew his real name as in the 4 years they were together, the family only knew him by his nickname Mac. She told a clerk immediately and judge decides on whether the trial goes ahead with them or gets another person still in the jury room to swap.

Judge said friend needs to be removed. Clerk told her that because of this, she will be called up again within a year. 18 years on, she still hasn't been called up.

I'm the same OP. Never been called, none of siblings called. My dad was once, although as he used to work in a senior role within the courts system he was dismissed on the first day. I have a friend in the US though who sat on a jury for a very distressing case that went on for weeks and he found it quite upsetting and also very disruptive to his life so maybe we should all be careful what we wish for!

About 6 years ago, a former colleague was called up for jury service in December. The manager wanted her to defer it as it was getting to the busiest time of the year. He wrote a letter explaining that she can't do jury service then. Letter was dismissed. Plus wanted her to work weekends. Not allowed as then she would have no day off.