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

Losing money doesn't benefit you. But being part of a civilised society where you may one day end up in court needing 12 impartial jurors benefits you and everyone else.

The expectation is you commit to being available for two weeks

but if there are longer trials you can write down why it’s not possible

Ah, I see. Clearly you don't care about the workings of civil society or a fair and transparent legal system in which everyone is entitled to be judged by a jury of their peers, because of your business.

Good luck with that if / when you or your family are affected. God forbid, obviously, but it doesn't matter, because it's all about your business.

Ah, I see. Clearly you don't care about the workings of civil society or a fair and transparent legal system in which everyone is entitled to be judged by a jury of their peers, because of your business.

Plenty of other countries seem to manage.

Good luck with that if / when you or your family are affected. God forbid, obviously, but it doesn't matter, because it's all about your business.

I would happily do jury duty if it meant I was paid in full - including covering all my lost income and travel expenses.

Unfortunately that doesn't happen and I can't afford to be out of pocket 🤷🏻‍♀️

This. My colleague was called for jury duty in a child abuse case. She said it was harrowing and she’d much rather be at work. If it gets to crown court chances are the cases are serious and often unpleasant.

I have never been called, nor have any of my family. Yet I know people who have been called more than once.

Coffee you won’t have a choice though

You can defer once but if called you’d have to do it, at that time or deferred time

Employers have to give you time off for jury service. DH has been called up, looks like it's going to be at a bad time as the only other person doing his job has been signed off. If he's got to do it, it suits him now though as we have a couple of things coming up that he wouldn't want to miss.

If it's a county court, I do know ours is a fast turn over of cases and you're in and out like yoyos, so unlikely to go on for more than two weeks. Sadly you get the same family names coming up around here, so I don't envy DH being impartial.

It's meant to be random, but funnily enough my friend who is five months older than DH and has the same job was called two months ago.

I know several self employed people who have been excused permanently as them
closing their business has too much impact on other people (as they provide personal services like childcare). I also know people in my business who have been excused on that basis so if I ever get called, I'm hoping that works for me too.

If not, I do actually have insurance to cover my lost income in situations like this - but my point really is the way they deal with it is hugely unfair and until jury duty doesn't hugely inconvenience people (and cost them money) - they're going to keep trying to get out of it.

Ah, I see. Clearly you don't care about the workings of civil society or a fair and transparent legal system in which everyone is entitled to be judged by a jury of their peers, because of your business.

Good luck with that if / when you or your family are affected. God forbid, obviously, but it doesn't matter, because it's all about your business.

I have some sympathy. I don't feel like I actually should/ could determine someone's guilt. For minor cases I don't think I am the right person to apply the law. For emotive or difficult cases, I would rather leave my emotion out of the matter and leave it to a suitably trained judge.

I feel the same if I were ever on trial - I would rather trust an impartial, well trained and professional judge over a jury of my peers.

The system we currently have isn't the only option and it might not also be the best. It does have benefits though I do conceed.

You are allowed to be excused for disability or health reasons (both Autism and ADHD are disabilities)- you would just need to provide a letter from your GP or a consultant (e.g. psychiatrist).

I have OCD and ADHD and would definitely need to be excused too.

@Northernsoullover
That must have been awful.
I stand by it though, it must be fairly rare to end up on such a harrowing case.

Really? that's horrifying and surely a breach of the Equality Act. Have you provided letters from your medical professional/s to say that you condition would prevent you from taking part (at least without the adjustments that you need).

You could appeal the decision that you are well enough to be involved if you cannot attend. www.gov.uk/jury-service/delaying-or-being-excused-from-jury-service

I’m not sure that’s correct, you can be excised for these reasons including disability

Ask to be excused from jury service
If it’s not possible for you to do jury service in the next 12 months, you can ask to be excused. You’ll only be allowed to do this in exceptional circumstances, for example:

• you have a serious illness or disability that prevents you from doing jury service
• you’re a full time carer of someone with an illness or disability
• you’re a new parent and will not be able to serve at any other time in the next 12 months

Excused