to refuse to do Jury Service?

[Messyisthenewtidy]

I've just received a summons and I'm freaking out. My employer pays up to 2 weeks but beyond that the expenses that you can claim are a pittance and I'll be in serious financial difficulties.

I'm a single mum so obviously the only earner. Can I reasonably refuse? Will they let me? What happens if it goes on for ages and I lose my job?

Please advise me! Has anyone managed to get out of it on the grounds of being the only wage earner?

Qweenbee

My mum was called up at 70...2 I think. She got a letter from her doctors as she's hearing impaired.

Age limit is 75 according to Google.

From Gov.uk -Delaying or being excused from jury service

You may be able to delay (‘defer’) jury service, for example if:

you’ve already booked a holiday
you’re having an operation
your employer will not give you time off work
You can only defer jury service once.

How to defer
Write to the Jury Central Summoning Bureau explaining why you want to defer. Include evidence showing that you’ll not be available, for example:

proof that you’ve booked a holiday
a letter from your doctor
a letter from your employer explaining why they’ll not give you time off
You must also list the dates when you’ll be available in the 12 months after you were supposed to start jury duty.

I have deferred twice.
First time because I had just split up with my exh and explained how disruptive it would be for my children to be in childcare full time when they have just lost one parent (he did a flit with ow) I also explained that I didn't have the means to pay the childcare up front for four children or indeed the travel and parking. Court was ten miles each way.
The second time I was waiting for a gall bladder removal and having attacks every few days. I explained that if I had an attack I would almost certainly be unable to attend.
I will probably do the next one now the kids are older tho as I'd be quite interested to see it all.
I need my experience they are very reasonable if you state your reasons..

If I ever found myself in court I would want a jury of my peers, so YABU. Selection is random - posters who don't understand this will not understand why people have won the lottery more than once! The irony is that I would be willing and able to do jury service but have never been called (I'm in my 50s).

I deferred mine as had just been made redundant.

When was called up again I was undergoing medical treatment- I sent email stating this with hospital letters and was subsequently told I had been excused.

So definitely defer at first then second time explain childcare and situation and see if can be excused, they seldom go over two weeks tho and some people turn up the first day and get sent home.

I wonder if you any thought does go into researching people's circumstances before selecting them.
I would like to do it.

I work in education and could do two weeks of the summer holiday, I've never been asked at all.

A jury should be made up of 15 ordinary women and men are selected at random to uphold justice in their local community. It is a civic duty they are obliged to perform.

They is no process of determining in advance as to whether someone may or may not be available.

I was just thinking last night I'd love to do jury duty! How do you get called? By voting and being on electoral roll and generally 'visible'?

I work with victims of sexual crime though, which may be a barrier?

I’ve never been called which I’m glad about as being a lone parent with no support would make it Impossible

@Jiggles101 I've worked in court (I've strangely also done a job similar to yours), your job wouldn't exempt you. It used to be legal professionals couldn't do it as they are not 'lay people', but even that's been relaxed now.

PM me, I can tell you what I did to get out of it
I was SE and also the only wage earner with no childcare. Would have loved to have done it but we could have lost everything

Jiggles101 if you get selected for a case, they read out the names of everyone involved. You can excuse yourself from that particular case if you know anyone.

Solicitors get called up now. We had an ex-prison officer in our group too.

I rang to say that it would cause me and my employer financial hardship. They were paying less than I earned and my employer wouldn't pay me. Also because they charged me out to clients, they would lose income and would have scheduling issues due to not knowing how long I would be unavailable.
They accepted this and wrote to confirm

PS I wasn't happy about not doing it as I think it's everyone's civic duty but I couldn't afford to be out of pocket, and neither could my employer (tiny cash stretched company)

What times are trials normally? I wouldn't be available past 5pm as DS needs to go to bed. Also the costs they reimburse will be useless to someone earning over 33k, people wont be able to service their mortgage!

Hope i never get called...

They ask you if you are available for longer than the intiial period rather than just assuming.

I think it's important that everyone does it. It needs to be a cross section of people to make it work.

I've done it once for a longer case and the jury was exempted for a set period of time by the judge at the end of the case. It was awful, but I still think it's important people take their turn.

It is a very important civic duty - but the court staff know it’s really hard for some people. You should try to do it if you can, but let them know your circumstances. Do not lie or try to be clever, as some posts have suggested. I think you will find that they are very used to people in your circumstances and will be sympathetic. IME the least likely to be let off are people who say how very very important their job is and how their company can’t manage without them. Judges don’t like to hear this.

I should clarify - not in a case like fuckwits but people who work for big companies where there will not be financial hardship.

@Thertruthisoutwhere you think juries should only comprise people earning £33k or below? Have my first "are you on glue?".

@ArgyMargy I read that comment as being that the reimbursemens offered will be so far below what someone earning 33k plus earns that they are pointless as they'll be unlikely to pay their mortgage etc on it (as their outgoings will be in line with their usual income).

People on more than £33k are likely to have savings to last the first couple of weeks and most probably work for companies who pay during jury service. Using these people for shorter trials means longer trials can run quite well using the retired, unemployed, SAHPs to elder children, students and teachers during holidays and those whose employers can cope without and wouldn't be financially disadvantaged (and the different groups should still allow a wide range of society to be part of these juries).

People on more than £33k are likely to have savings to last the first couple of weeks and most probably work for companies who pay during jury service

I completely disagree.

user2928362 are you for real??
I earn significantly more than 33k but I'm self employed so would be completely fucked. Not only would I not earn I would have to pay someone to cover my work. Who would charge more than I usually make in a day.

Oh and I have no other savings other than what I save to pay my tax bill