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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU for thinking someone in our family should have been called to serve on a jury by now?

130 replies

LiesDoNotBecomeUs · 27/02/2023 20:48

I've never been called and nor have any of my equally middle-aged siblings or our grown-up children or our parents.

I am not sure I'd like it - but feel it is something that should have happened by now. Is it rare?

OP posts:
AlisonDonut · 27/02/2023 20:51

I've done it and my OH has done it. Different counties.

soleilblue · 27/02/2023 20:52

I've done it. It was shit and horrendous.

MrsTerryPratchett · 27/02/2023 20:55

DH who doesn't want to has been called twice. Me, never and I really want to.

<sulks>

Leakingtoilet · 27/02/2023 20:55

Yes same. None of me, DP, siblings, parents or adult DC have ever been called. Personally I'm not upset about it, as don't particularly fancy it, but it is odd when I hear about people being called 3 or 4 times

ChilliBandit · 27/02/2023 20:56

Loads of people in my family have been called but despite wanting to do it I never have. I am sure they sense my eagerness and have black listed me.

Mistymoonsinastarrysky · 27/02/2023 20:58

My DH did it recently at 74, no one in either of our families has ever been called but a neighbour has done it 4 times!

RaininSummer · 27/02/2023 20:58

I always think it's odd that neither my parents, myself, sister or uncle have ever been called. My parents are in their 80s now and myself and sister approaching retirement age. Seems strange. Wonder if we are on some blacklist.

Stopthebusplease · 27/02/2023 20:58

Both myself and my DD have been called, but neither of us had to serve due to changes at the last minute. However, my DH and his sibling have never been called and they're both in their 60's, so I certainly wouldn't worry about it OP. If it happens, it happens, nothing you can do to force it, so I'd forget all about it if I were you.

ExtraOnions · 27/02/2023 20:59

None of us have … I’ve always assumed it’s because my brother was a criminal in younger days

Woolandwonder · 27/02/2023 21:01

Yeah it's strange. Nobody in my family immediate or extended or any friends I know have been called. Am glad personally as although I'd absolutely love to do it, I wouldn't be able to due to health.

Original poster
LiesDoNotBecomeUs · 27/02/2023 21:02

I guess that there is a cut-off age so perhaps I'll never be asked.
(My parents are into their 80s now - so probably not ever going to be asked!)

Have we missed out on something?

OP posts:
OneTC · 27/02/2023 21:03

My mum's been called 3 times, I've been called twice, my dad was called more than once but managed to swerve it. I declined on the second one because the first one was a horrible experience

Luredbyapomegranate · 27/02/2023 21:03

I can only think of a couple of people I know who have. No one in my family. But statistically it can’t be that many people?

Soubriquet · 27/02/2023 21:04

I don’t know anyone who’s done it

shinynewapple22 · 27/02/2023 21:05

No one in my (admittedly small) family have been called to do this - but I do know a couple of people who have .

LocSeeTan · 27/02/2023 21:06

Called twice but both times cancelled. They most likely as 2x the people required to ensure availability of half of them.

Bleese · 27/02/2023 21:07

I presume people are called by address? When I lived in Edinburgh, people I knew were forever being called up. It was quite an issue for my employer. Where I live now (not a city) I've heard of one person I know being called in the past 10 years or so. I've always assumed Edinburgh had a lot of courts and a lot of jury cases compared to other areas, but don't know if that's actually how it works!

Original poster
LiesDoNotBecomeUs · 27/02/2023 21:07

It does seem to be oddly random then if people have been called several times.

Sorry it was horrendous for some of you.

I'd always assumed it would be quite dull - with lots of waiting about and much shuffling of points of order like a very long committee meeting.

I became more interested in the way courts work due to the 'sex matters' cases followed on here.

OP posts:
dudsville · 27/02/2023 21:09

I've never been called and i don't know anyone who's been called.

Hooklander · 27/02/2023 21:10

Never been called. Neither has anyone in my extended family or my partner's huge extended family. Nor have my adult children's partners, nor my DSC's partners.

We have many hundreds of years on the electoral roll between us all, but nothing.

I'd opt in, tbh, to do my turn asap, if such a system existed, to at least take the place the place of someone who has already done it and for whom it would be another load of stress and inconvenience. The load is supposed to be shared.

The existing lottery is odd.

Murdoch1949 · 27/02/2023 21:11

It is random. One daughter has done it, no-one else in the family has.

CaptainMyCaptain · 27/02/2023 21:11

I'm 68 and have only been called once but it was for a place I no longer lived so I didn't have to do it. My parents and my sister have never done it. My husband has served in a Coroner's court.

WentForAWalk · 27/02/2023 21:13

I've been called 4 times ... and got out of it 4 times !

I only know 3 other people who have been called.

LachrymoseLeeches · 27/02/2023 21:15

I've done it once, dp never has. I know a few friends who have been called. I know it is done from the electoral roll and there is a maximum age (about 70 I think) but aside from that it is supposed to be random. However I don't know if you are more likely to be called in reality if you live in a big city with a court (as I do).

AndiPandi70 · 27/02/2023 21:15

I've been called 3 times in past 17 years, but only ended up on a jury once. I was then called a 4th time but because of the time period I managed to get out of it.

I wonder if it's to do with where you live I.e. are you more likely to be called if you live nearer the court. Pretty sure you have to have lived at same address for a certain number of years.