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?

You can apply to be excused due to the fact it will put you in financial difficulty - send as much evidence as you can With supporting documents

And I'm a single parent with a useless ex and only breadwinner

I was called 2 years ago. I deferred as it was for the last 2 weeks before the GCSE exams started and I said it wasn't fair for me to be missing for the vital last minute revision time for the 3 exam classes I taught.

On the form you fill in to defer I was asked for dates I would be available for the next 12 months. So I gave them dates of school hols (which would have caused a childcare headache, but not a work one), and was called for the last 2 weeks of the summer term. I went for 2 days and was sent home early both days, then told not to come back as there were no more cases (the defendants for the cases scheduled plead guilty). I was a bit annoyed not to get onto a case.

You're only called up for one week. If you're asked to go on a trial that is expected to last for longer they will not force working people to do it

One of my colleagues was on jury service for almost 3 months. It was a complicated case with several defendants, and there was lots of legal argument that jurors were excluded from. The organisation we work for pays full pay however long you're on jury service though.

Out of a team of 12, we had 4 or 5 people summoned for jury service in less than 6 months. I deferred mine, because the final hearing in my divorce was imminent but I didn't have a date for it.

That was 6 years ago, and they've never asked me again.

I dread being called for this. Why should I be forced to carry out a so called civic duty against my will like we live in some totalitarian state. And do people really think forcing people to take part puts them in a mind set to take a clear and objective view.

"retired, unemployed, SAHPs to elder children"

Tell that to the 25 year old young man i spoke to who got a Universal Credit sanction for doing Jury Service.

If you defer, then the next time you are called - you have to do it. Worth considering because if you had a holiday booked or similar the second time, you’ll be stuffed.

I did Jury Service earlier this year. My experience is that a lot of the advice you are getting is wrong. If your case goes over 2 weeks, you have no choice but to stay. They do try to take into consideration those jurors who may have to stay longer than 2 weeks - but if they need you, they will make you stay. Work is not an excuse (we were told that time and time again). They really do have you over a barrel and there is not a lot you can do. Saying that, i was on a case for just short of 2 weeks. It was a very very interesting experience. Not one I want to repeat, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to do it.

I did it a couple of years ago. Big crown court, 12 court rooms, so a lot of cases and loads of jurors sitting about.

What they did with any cases that looked like being lengthy, was instead of the usual random selection, was ask for people who wouldn't mind - there were plenty of retirees.

I did my 2 weeks, one case lasting about 5 days, another lasting only about 2, and a lot of sitting about. (You need a good book!)
If it's local, rather than say the Old Bailey, I should imagine you probably won't need to worry. Colleagues of mine had also been summoned to the same court and nobody had to do more than the 2 weeks.

You can ask to be excused on reasonable grounds so might be worth explaining your situation. Years ago I was excused on the grounds of having a young EBF baby, plus a toddler, and dh working abroad.

They pay your loss of earnings

Here is the link to the amounts for loss of earnings and also claimable expenses: www.gov.uk/jury-service/what-you-can-claim

It’s important for single parents to do their jury service, so that juries are representative of the population as a whole.

Most trials are just 2-3 days, so easy enough to accommodate jurors within their 2-week service.

DD was called when she was just 18. In June. Hmm could she have had other things on, such as A-levels? She deferred and was recalled in the October, just as she started her degree course.

My friend works at the Courts and they are quite strict about giving deferrals. Having children and having to make childcare arrangements won’t get you out of jury service but having an ebf baby will.

My friend gets calls from people not wanting to have to get the bus, train etc as it is a complicated journey or early start - no deferral.

sooner or later someone will be losing their livelihood or their home.

maggie zolobajluk
‏ @22magoo
Feb 3

"Came across this while doing some research re what changes of circumstances trigger a UC claim If you "claim Income-based JSA and you need to attend court or jury service you will be asked to claim Universal Credit" Thankyou for your service to your country!"

I agree that juries need to be representative, but the allowances are not overly generous! I’ve done it once and my DF has done it twice, but we were lucky that we had employers who would pay full pay and we didn’t get onto a complex fraud trial. You could perhaps apply for excusal on the grounds of hardship as there is some discretion but recognise that it is unlikely to be granted and you may end up with just a deferral instead. I only had mine deferred by six months though when I had an exam. Usually they do tell you if the trial is going to be long and they do try to be as accommodating as possible, but it depends on what the available pool of jurors is. Hopefully you aren’t going to somewhere like the Old Bailey or Southwark at least! You can also apply to do your jury service at a court that is easier for you to get to (I didn’t do this but I moved house in between the original summons and my deferred date, and somehow the system was organised enough to sort that out). Depending on location, that might even get you a place with less likelihood of a long trial (and hopefully not the other way round...).

@helenadove I’d be amazed if none of the jurors on this one lost, or loses, their job as a result of the length of the trial.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/uk-scotland-40946653

There is a difference between asking for a deferral when you get the notice and making excuses not to turn up on the day.

If you can’t find childcare you can’t find childcare.

Not sure how much the fine is if you don't do it, but I suppose for some people the loss of earnings would be more than the fine, so it is worth paying the fine. If you are a higher earner the money they give you for earnings is nowhere near what you get in your job. That said, people who earn a lot usually have decent employers who will pay for jury service. Unless you are self-employed of course. But then you have more scope to fit in jobs between hearings I suppose (I probably could as I have discrete bits of work).

I was called once but I was a trainee solicitor at the time so didn't have to do it. Since then the law has changed as a pp said.

Op I did it a few years ago, there were two court rooms and the other case was a long one. I remember somwthing about them having to excuse some as it had gone on too long.
I also remember when I started they gave us a 'deadline', I did one week in the end and it was a serious case so assume that's fairly long.

You're only called up for one week. If you're asked to go on a trial that is expected to last for longer they will not force working people to do it

I don't think that's true is it? A relative was once on a jury for a very long trial and he was there for weeks on end. His employers were awful about it too, but he had no choice

Loss of earnings and other expenses
This includes the cost of employing a child-minder or carer, if it’s outside your usual care arrangements.

Length of jury service Time spent each day Maximum daily amount you can claim
First 10 days 4 hours or under £32.47
First 10 days Over 4 hours £64.95
Day 11 to day 200 4 hours or under £64.95
Day 11 to day 200 Over 4 hours £129.91
After day 201 4 hours or under £114.03
After day 201 Over 4 hours £228.06
Accommodation
The court will arrange accommodation if you’re asked to stay overnight.

There are plenty of reasons why some children can’t simply be left with a child minder.

Haven't read full thread but my friend refused for almost identical reasons to you at the end of last year. Only difference was her employer wouldn't pay her anything for being away from work and all her annual leave was already accounted for with school holidays care.
She just wrote and explained and everything was fine.

I heard of someone who said they were an alcoholic who had to be able to attend an AA meeting whenever the urge to drink struck them. Obviously AA have no membership lists.

@thighofrelief101 TBH, if I was accused of a crime, I wouldn’t ever want someone that dishonest on the jury for my trial.

Tbh I'm not sure I'd want any of the public deciding my future. Some of the shit I hear day to day would scare me to think they'd be in charge of my future!!