To think that if people are forced to do Jury service...

[Pseudonym99]

...against their will, then you cannot expect them to take it seriously, abide by the rules and they shouldn't be held responsible when they break those rules? And how can it be in the interests of justice to have jurors there who do not take it seriously or do not want to be there?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23495785

[nickymanchester]

If you read the link in the OP, then the jurors weren't behaving like that because they didn't want to be there. They made those comments in public as they were GLAD that they had the opportunity to be on a jury and convict the type of person that they don't like.

It is much more likely that your typical MNetter will not wish to do jury duty and will be savvy enough to work out how they can get out of it.

There was an interesting case reported by the BBC earlier this year about how much the average juror understands the system:-

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21529452

[hiddenhome]

Governments get the population they deserve and years of dumbing people down has led to idiots like this - people who are incapable of taking things seriously.

People don't know how to be decent citizens any more

[60sname]

Hollyberrybush 'peers' means equals, not just equal in age

[Onesleeptillwembley]

Ok, don't make people do jury duty, but have some other public duty instead. If they object to everything then they cannot have recourse to the public purse, NHS, or any other privilege of being a citizen (avoiding the word subject).

[Xmasbaby11]

YABU!

[MalcolmTuckersMum]

Round of applause to Bumpotato and hiddenhome

[mumblechum1]

I agree with Onesleep. If people really can't be bothered to do JS then they should have to do some other community service in its place.

(easy for me to say, though, I have a life-long exemption due to former employment).

[Onesleeptillwembley]

Me too, Mumble, but I would gladly do it.

[Forgetfulmog]

OP seriously??? YABVVVU.

I just don't get why anyone would do what they did, especially the whole posting comments on fb, ffs!

[bluesbaby]

Holly your mates might have told you that but Ican guarantee you they would have to have had proper justification for the final decision.

[bluesbaby]

The case before mine (on jury) got thrown out because a juror befriended the defendant on the lunch break and told him the feedback from other jurors! So stupid!

[LillethTheCat]

Id love to go on Jury service. Maybe one day

[DameFanny]

Frankly Holly I'm judging you by the company you keep

[ReindeerBollocks]

Mumblechum - the Government changed the law to allow members of the legal profession to sit on a jury, so you may not be exempt after all.

Secondly, I think that jury duty is a very important public service, and should be taken seriously, plus it is trial by peers, but this means a cross section of society, not people who are similar in age nor other background features. These idiots who abused JD deserve everything they get.

However, there has been discussions about making professional jurors for complex fraud trials, in which trial juries often get confused and unable to understand the terminology. I know some of the barristers struggle with those cases due to the complexity, so it would make sense to have a professional jury in these cases, who were neutral but would be able to understand the legal issues and financial issues of such frauds.

In all other cases jury duty should exist and using these people as examples serves to show that jury duty should be taken seriously.

[HollyBerryBush]

'peers' means equals, not just equal in age

I know that - I was avoiding saying what I was really thinking on grounds of inverted snobbery

And there was a movement to introduce professional jurors at the time I studied law. I happen to agree with it.

[mumblechum1]

Mumblechum - the Government changed the law to allow members of the legal profession to sit on a jury, so you may not be exempt after all.

Yes, I know, but I also used to work for the Ministry of Justice, so am still exempt.

I think

[Onesleeptillwembley]

Think you may be, Mumble that's my situation.

[HollyBerryBush]

Are you damefanny I guess I'm ok because shes dead now. Hope that cheers you up a bit and I can guarantee I'm resocialised adequately

[ReindeerBollocks]

yes, still exempt then! I just assumed otherwise.

That shows how stupid I am for making assumptions. Sorry about that.

[beatback]

If you were Unfortunate to have to go to Crown Court (Not your Fault) or innocent of the charges and your fate was in the hands of 12 people on a jury with 3 people half a sleep, 1 person texting 2 people who cant speak english properly, or understand what is being said. Another person who does not like your hair colour and 1 person with a chip on his shoulder and your fate is left in the hands of people like that then it really is pot luck whether you are convicted. Even though you may be totally innocent and this is one reason (Another Thread) the Teacher who pushed youths in to a bush pled guilty at Magistrates Court. He was not prepared to risk the possibilty of a much stiffer Sentence. If his case had these type of people on the Jury any type of outcome could have been possible.

[DameFanny]

The point is Holly did you SIOB when she told you or think "fair enough"?

[sonlypuppyfat]

My worry about being called up for jury duty is what if I couldn't understand what was going on eg a complex fraud case or something like that.

[mumblechum1]

More danger of dying of boredom, sonlypuppy .

[gallicgirl]

I have a relative who Is a crown court clerk and she thinks there should be a minimum education level for jurors on fraud cases. They cost thousands and take ages because evidence has to be explained to jurors.
Sometimes the fraud cases are declared mistrials because the jurors don't understand the complexities and are unable to make decisions. Professional jurors are a step too far though.

Let's hope the sentence for contempt comes with a citizenship course.

[beatback]

Imagine you are Red Haired Northener called Tyler/Chardonnay and you have this mis fourtune to have "Katie Hopkins" as Foreman of the Jury.