Jury Duty

[norwegianwoood]

Just looking more for advice than anything else

ive been called up for jury duty starting end of June.

I am also waiting on a contract coming through for a new job. I have to give 8 weeks notice int he job I’m in so would probably start new job mid to late July time. I have this fear that I’ll end up on a jury that’ll sit for weeks/months and go over my start date with new emploeyr. can my new employer rescind my contract on this basis?

totally unsure where I stand with this, never mind the kids will be on their summer holidays from school and I have no childcare 🙁

it’s weighing heavy on my mind

It's likely that the jury duty will end before your new job starts. I'd ask the new employer; do they want you to defer it, and if so to what 3 dates, or do they want to take the risk of you starting late.

At work, we had a spell where 4 members of our team of 16 were called for jury duty in less than 6 months. They all lived in completely different areas, so I don't think it's location.

About 9 months later, I was called and got a deferral because it clashed with the date for my divorce hearing. I never got called again and am possibly too old now (66).

My call was to a court that's really awkward to get to, but there's a crown court within walking distance of my house, which seems a bit perverse.

I have been called twice; the first time I asked for and was granted, a deferral as the DTs would have been on holiday and I had no childcare (teacher). It was deferred until early September which was massively inconvenient as I had to miss the first week
of term.
I was called a second time when the DC were grown up. Both times I was selected and found the experience interesting, if rather less dramatic than on tv, where everything is sorted in a hour or so!

No one else in my family has ben called.

Makes you wonder how much of a cross section of society you get, if those with childcare commitments, job related issues and holidays paid for get to defer.Plus those who don't feel an obligation finding some way out.

True but it’s not really in the spirit is it? It’s one of the very few things asked of us as citizens, and is essential to a functioning justice system, yet we all roll our eyes and try to get out of it.

But if they really wanted it to work properly and didn't want people trying to get out of it, then they'd pay people 100% of their lost wages, travel expenses and childcare costs - but they don't.

Why should I see it as my civic duty when doing it will put my business at risk?

This happened to DH last year. He deferred and did it this year instead. When he rang the court last year for advice they said they'd defer it for up to a year.

I was on a jury for a month. We weren't warned beforehand about how long it would be.

The jury were then excused from being called for a number of years but I have been called up twice since then.

I did this year.
After having deterred for a year.
Got text message on Friday to turn up Monday 10.30am.
Got there, we did the induction.
Had to wait for the jury to be called into courtroom as it was delayed 45mins.
By 1pm jury was selected, I wasn't in there. Was told to go home. Every evening that week I was told I do not have to attend. On Friday that week I was told that my Jury Duty has been completed.
Got paid for 2 weeks off. Although had to chase them for the money, it was all very standard and easy practice.

I was on a jury for 3 weeks and we were all approached by the Court Clerk and asked if we could commit to a case that was likely to be that long. Those who couldn’t - teachers, holiday makers, childcare - were told she would take their reasons to the Judge and see what he said. No evidence had to be provided. They were all allowed to decline that case but were kept in the ‘jury pool’ - they may have been allowed to leave or have been called for shorter cases. You’re told to expect up to 10 working days and you could be on a number of different, short cases or one short case and then sent home.

I did the 3 weeks - it was hard and draining but I’m glad I did it.

You still have to do it if you're disabled in any way or have a mental health condition. It's written on the summons. I've asked for reasonable adjustments to do with physical disability and got told my court can not accommodate these very well, so I have to figure it out by myself 🙄.

True but it’s not really in the spirit is it? It’s one of the very few things asked of us as citizens, and is essential to a functioning justice system, yet we all roll our eyes and try to get out of it

It isn't essential at all, other countries manage fine with paid judges. And I don't think we owe the state anything - we pay our taxes and that should be enough.

If we must continue with this charade, then only use retired people or people who don't work. But then it won't be representative blah. It's a nonsensical system.

Hmm I think you need to get them to consider their duties under the Equality Act!

A friend has just finished a child murder case. She is utterly traumatised. Be careful what you wish for.

Never been called, neither has my DH, I think I may be exempt now due to my disability. Known a few friends that have done jury service, they found it interesting.

They're practically stalking me! Been called 6 times in 3 years, most recently 2 weeks ago. Managed 5 excusals and 1 I had to attend for 1 day before defendant pleaded guilty on the day.
I'm a lone parent and self employed and I really can't afford the time off work. At least 50% of my neighbours are retired, I don't know why they can't use people who don't have commitments, especially given we have an ageing population who mainly don't work!

It's supposed to be a "fair cross section of society" but I agree that it's totally unfair to those of us who are self-employed, or single/widowed parents with no help.

If they don't want people making excuses then they need to make sure everyone who is called is fairly reimbursed and they they're not putting their jobs and businesses at risk to attend.

They need to get a cross-section of society so it’s no good relying on retired people, volunteers or anything like that.

Maybe other countries do use judges but being tried by a jury of your peers is a better system. I know I’d rather be judged by 12 ordinary people who all have to agree on my guilt, rather than a single person who is overwhelmingly likely to be a privately educated, middle-aged white male (75% of seniors judges went to Oxbridge according to a Law Gazette article in June 2019 )

What is it with everyone on MN being so anti jury duty? There's loads of threads full of people trying to use every excuse to get out of doing it. I did it once, anyone with longer cases were asked if they could commit to that time frame and excused if they couldn't. My case lasted one day. Multiple people were also excused after a week because they had no cases assigned to them. My friend was called after me and his case was 4 weeks long but they were all given the opportunity to decline sitting that long.

I'm 43 and have been called twice, but only in the last ten years - never prior to that.

In the first instance, the case was dropped, so no need to attend, and in the second instance, I wasn't selected from the Goldfish Bowl of Justice (I must confess that that rather low-tech selection method - and this was a High Court case in Scotland - came as a bit of a surprise).

I sometimes wonder if it's because my surname is at the latter end of the alphabet, but my mother - who has the same surname as me - has been selected about a billionty times and has sat on a jury about seven times.

Weird.

@coffeecupsandfairylights

Why should I see it as my civic duty when doing it will put my business at risk?

Because civil society is one of the things that allows you to run a business and profit from it? If you want to get out, you have to put in.

Your comment is a massive generalisation.
So my niece who is a single Mother with a two year old toddler is also a student and only gets childcare during term time is not a shirker ! She cannot get time off from Uni because she is doing her MA and she has work placements that she has too attend.
What do you suggest she does with her toddler for two weeks ?She has only been allowed to defer ,not been excused! It is a real headache for her because her extended family all work full time ! Am not sure what will happen TBH …what do you suggest?🤔

How does me losing money and potentially my livelihood benefit me, exactly?

You go to your GP and they write a letter to say you aren't able to do it. My mum didn't do it as she is partially deaf and just can't hear well even with hearing aids in a group.