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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:
Hobbesmanc · 27/02/2023 21:16

My good friend was called earlier this month. Supposed to be for two weeks. Was really stressed about missing work etc. But in reality only was called for a couple of hours on day four. And let go week 2.

evemillbank · 27/02/2023 21:17

Me and my partner have both been called for it. I know lots of other people who have too.

xJoy · 27/02/2023 21:17

I was called when my children were a baby and pre-school and I managed to get out of it because it would have tipped me over the edge at that point (financially).

I wonder why they haven't put me back on the list though. My DC are 20 and 17 and I could do it now. Would be be a break from work?! Might be up for it now.

dippyduck1 · 27/02/2023 21:18

I don't know if its coincidence but I was never called until I started working as a civil servant - I have now been called 3 times and have never yet actually served.
First time I asked to be excused for personal reasons.
Second time I was in hospital with a burst appendix.
Third time I actually made it to the court for the to accused to change his plea to guilty and was sent home.

Zanatdy · 27/02/2023 21:18

I’ve always wanted to to it. Out of all my family & friends (we are 46) only one friend has been called. She was 18 at the time. She made her verdict of innocent to death by dangerous driving because she thought he was remorseful! It was a re-trial in the end. I did law at Uni and have always been interested in legal stuff so I’d love a long murder trial. Maybe one day

nokidshere · 27/02/2023 21:22

My immediate family is 31 adults and then parents and none of us have ever been called.

CKL987 · 27/02/2023 21:24

I think it might depend where you live but could be wrong. I got called about 15 years ago when I lived near a Crown Court. I also don't know many people that have been called.

randomsabreuse · 27/02/2023 21:25

Lived in England for minimum 22 adult years, never called. My dad was called once, no one else in my family.

Been in Scotland 3 years and DH has been called twice and I've been called once. Both of us have exemptions based on our profession - he has to be working as his profession but being a lawyer bars you in Scotland. Even if not Scottish qualified...

Muchtoomuchtodo · 27/02/2023 21:26

I’ve done it twice. Nobody else in the extended family has ever been called.

I like to think that I was such a good juror that I have a gold star beside my name!

Aprilx · 27/02/2023 21:27

My dad was called once, when I was a child so about forty years ago. Other than that nobody in my family or my husbands family have ever been called.

Forgottenmypasswordagain · 27/02/2023 21:27

I always wanted to, when I did get the notice I had to cancel for medical reasons. And then a few years later and had the same medical issue! So mad! My fil did but he hated it, it was some type of assault, he wouldn't share details with us even afterwards.

ScreamingTree · 27/02/2023 21:28

I got the letter but it was to start just after DD was due so as I was having a planned CS and would be breastfeeding I had to turn it down. I'm disappointed at missing it though and hope I get called again one day. I don't know many people who've done it though, it doesn't seem to be that common.

LavenderHillMob · 27/02/2023 21:30

Never been called - always wondered if is because we live rurally. There is no crown court in our district. A couple of work colleagues who live in a nearby large town, but in a different county have been called though.

I'm not particularly keen to do it, but interested in the randomness.

Holeymoleymacaroni · 27/02/2023 21:31

I did it when I was 19 (mid thirties now) & don't know anyone else who ever has! No family or friends at all.

It was very interesting. I wouldn't be able to do it now due to having young children.

whereaw · 27/02/2023 21:31

I have been, as has my dad. Both got out of doing it (I was a new parent, no idea what his excuse was)...
I really don't think I could cope with certain cases, I can't listen to the news without crying!

MereDintofPandiculation · 27/02/2023 21:32

It does seem to be oddly random then if people have been called several times. Random. Not “oddly random”. What would be odd is if every family had one person called, and nobody was ever called twice.

You won’t get called if you’re 76 or over.

Original poster
LiesDoNotBecomeUs · 27/02/2023 21:33

At least it seems not too unusual not to have been called.
(I wouldn't like to think my family had been marked out as poor in judgement.)

We don't have many civic duties .
Taxes cover most things that are shared.

OP posts:
Oysterbabe · 27/02/2023 21:33

Neither me nor DH have been called and I really want to do it.

OneTC · 27/02/2023 21:34

The address where me and mum got called multiple times was quite rural, nowhere near a court.

RunTowardsTheLight · 27/02/2023 21:34

I've never been called, neither has DH or my brother, not sure about my parents but not that I know of.

MadameSzyszkoBohusz · 27/02/2023 21:34

DH and I have both served, I actually got a murder trial at the Old Bailey.

It ended up being really quite unbelievably boring.

PlanBea · 27/02/2023 21:35

I got called the December I was 19, right in the middle of university exams. My uni advisor wrote a letter and I was removed from the list.

Exactly a year later the same thing happened, they didn't accept the letter from uni this time but in the end I didn't need to turn up as they filled the jury before they got to me on the list (or the person changed their plea or something)

I'd love to do it but I haven't been called back since!

Bonjovispjs · 27/02/2023 21:35

I'm 56 and in all my years, I've only ever known one person who has done it and that was someone I worked with back in the 80s.

SickickFan · 27/02/2023 21:35

I was called up twice in my early 20’s (only actually served on a jury once though) and weirdly my DH has also been called up (both of us before we met). My DDad was called up once years and years ago but he couldn’t serve due to work commitments so they released him. My DMum has also been called up but just hung around the courts for a few days before they discharged her. My parents address must be a jury hotspot as it was from there that I was called up! Would love to know how some addresses never get anyone called up but some get multiple people… 🤔

I’ve always been a true crime addict so I was really excited to be called up the first time, but actually it was quite harrowing, even for a minor case like I sat on 😕 I don’t think I went into it in the right frame of mind as a young women in her 20’s. I don’t know how jury’s on high profile cases cope when they are subjected to weeks and weeks of very harrowing crime scene photo’s, evidence and testimony. It’s a big burden that weighs on you, so I can’t imagine how they cope with somebody’s life literally in their hands (especially in the US where they have the death penalty on the table).

Wrongsideofpennines · 27/02/2023 21:35

I was called to do it at 19 in my first year at uni. They allowed me to delay it by a couple of months so I didn't have to miss a compulsory work placement but then it meant it was over the summer and I couldn't get a job that would have accommodated it so I missed out on 8 weeks of earning for 2 weeks for jury duty.

It was interesting and I did 3 cases so every day I was in a court. But there was guy there the whole 2 weeks who spent the whole time in the waiting room.

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