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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask about your experience whilst doing jury service

43 replies

Jessi1972 · 16/07/2020 11:57

Hi,
Posted here for traffic.
I've been summoned for jury service and I was just wondering how others found it?
Have you been called and served during the pandemic?
What precautions did you take?
Should I be worried?
Thank you for taking the time to read and reply

OP posts:
GinDaddyRedux · 16/07/2020 11:59

The first rule of jury service is you don't talk about jury service.

Grin
SpinningLikeATop · 16/07/2020 12:02

I know someone who was called recently, and the courts weren't busy at all. He did a day and then sat around for the rest of the time. I don't think they are running a full court service at the moment, but may be wrong.

Hope someone can come along and help you more.

CodenameVillanelle · 16/07/2020 12:03

I did it years ago so I don't know about how things are now, but I really enjoyed it. A fair bit of sitting around so take a book and a phone charger.

WindsorBlues · 16/07/2020 12:06

I sat around for hours waiting to be called. Bring a book.

Blobby10 · 16/07/2020 12:08

Did it 6 years ago - was really bored and discovered that I generally don't have an opinion of my own and just go with the majority for a quiet life. The second week I was selected for the jury for a child molestation case (which would have been horrible) but managed to get let off as I was due on holiday and the case was expected to last several weeks.

Original poster
Jessi1972 · 16/07/2020 12:11

@GinDaddyRedux bit like fight club 😁😁😁

I've got a pile of books and I'm allowed to take kindle as well.
But a big no no for knitting - gutted because I'm knitting a king size blanket for dd for Christmas, apparently the needles can be used as a weapon - never even gave that a thought tbh!

OP posts:
Original poster
Jessi1972 · 16/07/2020 12:15

@Blobby10 my worry is that I will get an abuse case as I was abused as a child - can I ask to be excused from that case?
I really don't want to have to admit that in an open court

OP posts:
Justmuddlingalong · 16/07/2020 12:15

Worked myself up about it. Arrived, sat about for a while. Names of the jury picked out of a hat. Wasn't picked. Came home.

MarkRuffaloCrumble · 16/07/2020 12:21

I’ve been called for the end of July. When is yours Jessi? I’ll let you know how it goes!

zingally · 16/07/2020 12:28

My mum did a week on a bar fight case. She said it was interesting to do once, but not interested in doing it again.

She said take plenty of food and drink, and a book to read, as there was a fair amount of sitting around waiting for things to happen.

Frizzcat · 16/07/2020 12:28

I’ve been called in October. Do they keep you for the full two weeks if you haven’t been called?

Blobby10 · 16/07/2020 12:33

@Jessi1972 I'm sure that you could speak to a court official upon arrival and let them know. You shouldn't have to admit it in open court. There are always mitigating circumstances for a juror not to be included in selection and tbh yours is a lot more valid than mine was!

Original poster
Jessi1972 · 16/07/2020 12:33

@MarkRuffaloCrumble I've been called for the beginning of August

OP posts:
Original poster
Jessi1972 · 16/07/2020 12:35

@Blobby10 thank you and I will do that 😁

OP posts:
Blobby10 · 16/07/2020 12:35

Frizzcat when I did it, we had to go in each day and they kept us until they knew they didn't need us. Some days we were excused at 11am, others it wasn't until 3pm. I just went back to work (if I didn't do my work no-one else did!) but I know some people who, because they got paid by their employer anyway treated it as holiday and went shopping and stuff.

Summer41 · 16/07/2020 12:49

I spent the whole morning sitting around and waiting with my fingers crossed hoping to get picked. We'd been told the case was going to last six weeks and I hated my job at the time! I didn't get picked.

L

noraclavicle · 16/07/2020 12:54

Just been called up for early September. I really hope I don’t have to serve for 6 weeks Shock I’m on a time-specific project have only just been allowed back and we’re behind enough as it is!

Time40 · 16/07/2020 13:13

I sat around for six full days in the canteen of the Old Bailey, waiting to be called. When I was finally called it was for a case that could potentially have gone on for months, but I managed to get out of it because I had a holiday booked and paid for (if they make you miss a holiday, they have to cover your costs, so they like to let you go in these cases).

I was relieved not to get stuck with a long-running case, but on the other hand I was also sorry that I didn't actually serve, because it was the biggest and most famous court in the country, and I'm sure it would have been interesting.

One thing I did notice is that they didn't treat the jurors with much respect - they ordered us about rather rudely.

My DP got called to a case in a court outside London, and he had exactly the same experience I'd had - sitting around for several full days, and then in the end not really serving. He did one day in court, and then the case was postponed.

I think there must be an awful lot of this sort of sitting around and wasting of people's time.

Rwoolley · 16/07/2020 13:29

Was called last year so not sure on the measures in regards to COVID but there was a lot of sitting around so take some entertainment (I relied on my ipad and Netflix!)

Once called to a case it was a bit more interesting although I got a really tough one and it lasted 6 weeks!

5foot5 · 16/07/2020 14:00

When I was called we all went on the first day and had all the induction. Then some of us were selected (at random) for the first trial. Only one trial at a time because not a big court. Those not selected were told to go home and they didn't need to come back for three days as the officials knew that the first case was going to last at least that long.

After the first case was done we were told that was it we would not have to come back again.

CloudPop · 16/07/2020 14:48

Bizarrely I've been called 3 times

BarbedBloom · 16/07/2020 15:38

I have never been called but my mum was. She unfortunately had a very unpleasant case and they had to stay in a hotel for their own safety. She was quite annoyed that they weren't offered counselling after, one juror was a young woman and she was in tears most days. I don't know if that has been improved.

She did say though that they were asked if they had any reason not to be on specific cases and if so, to ask to speak privately to someone waiting near the door - I assumed this was to do with any experience you have had that may mean you wouldn't be okay with certain cases - I wouldn't be able to serve on a rape case for example.

katy1213 · 16/07/2020 15:53

There is a daily allowance for food But it wasn't even enough to cover a sandwich at lunch from the canteen and a cup of tea at morning/afternoon break times. I was broke at the time and brought teabags from home - and they wouldn't even let me have a mug of hot water! So, no, jurors aren't treated with much respect! And I was terrified I'd nod off in court as I wasn't getting my normal caffeine intake.

CodenameVillanelle · 16/07/2020 18:21

@katy1213

There is a daily allowance for food But it wasn't even enough to cover a sandwich at lunch from the canteen and a cup of tea at morning/afternoon break times. I was broke at the time and brought teabags from home - and they wouldn't even let me have a mug of hot water! So, no, jurors aren't treated with much respect! And I was terrified I'd nod off in court as I wasn't getting my normal caffeine intake.
The daily allowance was given to us whether we bought food or not - no receipts required, so we all claimed and brought lunch from home. They also supplied hot water for us to make drinks but we had to either pay 20p for a teabag or coffee sachet or bring our own
temproasted · 16/07/2020 18:29

I did it about 5 years ago and enjoyed it! In the whole 10 days I only had 1 day without being called for a case. Called for 3cases in the 10 days from what I can rememberSmile