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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to to expect to be excused from jury duty?! Request to be excused denied!😱

226 replies

TotallyScrewed · 17/02/2021 07:11

Like many others the last 10 months or so has been an absolute shitshow😅 Partner and I both work, have been homeschooling a 7 year old and we have two preschoolers who’ve been at home with us for long stretches of time when nursery is shut.

Now I’ve been called for jury duty!!!😱 I thought, well, SURELY my request for excusal will be approved!

  • I’m homeschooling
  • When nursery is open the little ones need collecting at 3 and I am the only one who can do it (no family nearby and husband works late)
  • I’m also a university lecturer slap bang in the middle of term. I know work is supposed to give you time off for this but I would feel bad for my students (especially the dissertation ones!) suddenly disappearing on them!!!

I explained all these things and my request for excusal was refused!!! I’m quite shocked to be honest. I do totally understand the importance of jury duty and in normal times I would be so happy to oblige but I’m already barely keeping my head above water as it is😭😭😭

Has anyone successfully been excused and if so on what grounds?!

Also, vote away!
IABU: There’s nothing special about you, do your bloody jury duty.
IANBU: You’ve suffered enough and should be excused😂

OP posts:
MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously · 17/02/2021 13:29

It's fundamentally unfair though to expect a person to serve on a jury but not allow them to vote or see a GP on the NHS.

likeafishneedsabike · 17/02/2021 13:54

Good news that it’s been deferred but if you eventually get called, it might be a positive experience. I was on a ‘proper’ case for a week and found it a very interesting insight into the justice system. I was only in my 20s at the time so didn’t have to worry about dependants, though, so maybe had a bit more headspace to dedicate.

2bazookas · 17/02/2021 14:12

I was excused twice; just wrote a formal letter explained our situation, provided proof, and was excused.No problem. I'd have liked to serve,just not possible.

The first time, I had 4 children under 6 , husband working abroad, no family for childcare. The proof was, my advert in local jobcentre for a temporary nanny, which got no response.

The second time, rural location and public transport timetable made it impossible to reach the court by 10 am (as required)

4ensic · 17/02/2021 14:26

I was called last summer. I'm registered blind and thought they wouldn't want me. I was wring. They ensured the sourced a CCTV unit (to see/read documents, organised an aide to be with me and a familiarisation afternoon. I will I know this doesn't help the OP but it could help others, hence sharing

OP, I really hope you can sort something out.

LaceyBetty · 17/02/2021 14:33

Glad I saw that you called. Apparently it is hard to get "excused", but not to get a "deferral", which isn't clear in the forms. I'd asked to be excused on the forms and was denied. Just called up and was able to get a deferral. Thanks for starting this thread OP!

RedcurrantPuff · 17/02/2021 14:36

Turn up with the kids, they’ll soon send you home then.

MiddlesexGirl · 17/02/2021 14:46

I never did understand how they expect someone who doesn't use or access childcare to potentially get it for two weeks or more.
Are dps expected to use annual holiday? Or unpaid leave if they have none?

ilovesooty · 17/02/2021 14:59

I think anyone who "turns up with the kids" rather than seeking a deferral should be charged with contempt of court.

BlueTimes · 17/02/2021 15:03

@RedcurrantPuff

Turn up with the kids, they’ll soon send you home then.
You’ll much more likely have your own court hearing if you do that!
MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously · 17/02/2021 15:18

If you genuinely don't have childcare though, what are you supposed to do with your children?

RedcurrantPuff · 17/02/2021 15:19

For what @bluetimes? I would hazard a guess that would be fairly unlikely to amount to a criminal offence.

RedcurrantPuff · 17/02/2021 15:20

@ilovesooty

I think anyone who "turns up with the kids" rather than seeking a deferral should be charged with contempt of court.
Hilarious.
MiddlesexGirl · 17/02/2021 15:28

you might want to read up on what “no recourse to public funds” actually means. It’s a condition attached to a lot of visas. For example, DH pays a relatively high rate of tax, but cannot access GP or NHS for free. If he loses his job or becomes disabled, he’s not entitled to job seekers, pip/disability payments or any benefits of any kind. He also pays 50% of our council tax bill (I pay the other 50% obviously!)

Not true. He will have been paying NI contributions and therefore eligible for nsJSA.

evilkitten · 17/02/2021 15:28

The 18 year old in run up to A-levels reminds me of a boy in my year at school. He was called for jury duty during the exams. Requests for deferral were denied, and intervention by the headteacher came to nothing. I think he got admitted to university on the basis of mock results, but I lost touch once we'd left school.

OldRailer · 17/02/2021 15:29

I was excused due to caring commitments.

user1471447863 · 17/02/2021 15:43

@FrickinA

You know that as a juror it’s ‘critical’ work and you could send your kid into school?
You can't just 'send' them to school, you can request a place but you may not be granted one.
ilovesooty · 17/02/2021 15:49

@RedcurrantPuff what is so hilarious about that? The OP has gone through the proper channels, requested deferral and this has been granted. Why should people think they can get away with bypassing procedures and wasting the court's time?

RedcurrantPuff · 17/02/2021 16:07

It is not a criminal offence to enter a court building with children. If someone tries to be excused and cannot do so and has no one to look after their kids what else can they do. Not turning up would be contempt as well.

Lockdownbear · 17/02/2021 16:12

@RedcurrantPuff

It is not a criminal offence to enter a court building with children. If someone tries to be excused and cannot do so and has no one to look after their kids what else can they do. Not turning up would be contempt as well.
That sounds like an urban myth. For many reasons it just can't be true, how to avoid court, child witnesses, child victims, a 12 year old might have good reason to hear what someone has been sentenced to.
user1471447863 · 17/02/2021 17:08

The whole jury duty system is massively inefficient and a waste of thousands of people's time every day.
Most of the people I know who have done it never even got a case and many didn't have to even turn up after the first few days - just phone in in the morning and see if they are needed.

Think about the amount of admin needed to select and mail all these potential jurors then to deal with defferals and excusals and just queries. Then all the people dealing with all the expenses and payments and the ushering of people about. The call handling for when they decide they don't need you turn up and to phone in every morning.
And the time wasted spending much of the first day teaching every one the rules and processes?

Then just think about the general population - how many halfwits are your seeing in shops who after 9 months still haven't learned that a mask goes over your mouth and nose?
How many halfwits think the vaccine is going to let Bill gates track you? Or the virus isn't real/an elaborate hoax? How many twats on your Facebook feed share/repost blindingly false nonsense - like post these magic words to your wall or else Facebook will own all your info blah blah blah?
How many people on here even do you regularly see unable to retain or process simple information that's blatantly stated in an OP?
OP: my daughter is 3years old and blah blah blah
Reply: you've not said how old your son is but maybe he's old enough to get the bus home from school himself ..
And you'd expect them to follow a prosecution and defence twisting of facts and evidence to suit their respective agendas?
Just look at the -idiots- influencers and gorilla glue challenge? In fact just look at them in general.
Do you really think the general population is suitable to serve on a jury especially when many don't really want to be there?
Properly trained professional jurors would be much better especially when it comes to understanding complex forensic evidence/DNA/computer fraud etc.

ilovesooty · 17/02/2021 17:44

@RedcurrantPuff

It is not a criminal offence to enter a court building with children. If someone tries to be excused and cannot do so and has no one to look after their kids what else can they do. Not turning up would be contempt as well.
Try reading what I said, I mentioned deferral, which the OP applied for and which has been granted, not being excused.
Arrierttyclock · 17/02/2021 20:26

My manager was excused as she's a dental nurse in a hospital so played the key worker card. Can you send your place to me I would loooooove to do jury!!!

Purplealienpuke · 17/02/2021 21:32

Depending on which court you're called to you may end up with a long case.
I was a jury member on a TEN week trial!
I was excused then for 10 years, due to the nature and length of the case.

22Giraffes · 18/02/2021 13:22

Getting called for jury duty is one of my biggest fears, I am terrified of it happening. I think I'd be too scared of reprisals to convict anyone which would make me a terrible and completely immoral juror. It's the fact you sit in court where you can be seen, what stops someone coming to seek revenge for sending them down.

Yes I do suffer from an anxiety disorder!

GlendaBulb · 19/02/2021 09:57

I used to work with a woman whose mate worked in the offices charged with calling jurors. Her mate arranged for her to be called up as she fancied a break from work! She was quite proud of her guile.

I agree with @user1471447863, the system is a joke.