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

[LiesDoNotBecomeUs]

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?

My mum, who is late 60s, was called once - about 40 years ago - but deferred as had a newborn. No one else in my family: parents, siblings, pils, bil, closer aunts/uncles have been called. Neither of any of my friends.

I had a conversation just last week about this. A work colleague was telling us that she had just been called up for the 4th time and wondering if she could get out of it. Her last case was a murder and she'd been exempt for 10 years and this was now 1 month after her exemption ended. She wondered if any of us in the room had been called up and of the 7 people there, she was the only one who had. None of my family has been either, although I have been aware of a few work colleagues who have.

I did it when I was 18. One DC did it when he was 20 and at Uni.

I was called up in my early 20s (now early 50s) but deemed ineligible due to previous employment (worked for criminal lawyer). Never been called up since, and don't know anyone who has amongst family and friends. Knew a woman to chat to decades ago: she was called up and ended up at the Old Bailey.

My Nan is the only one in my family who was ever called and she was called twice but both times couldn’t go as she was looking after my grandad who was ill with a life limiting condition.

I really want to do it haha!

My dad has just done it for the 2nd time, he's 83.

I’ve been called 7 times! I’ve never done it though. I got called 4 times when DC were small so used that as an excuse. Then once I decided to do it but it got cancelled last minute. I was called again just as covid kicked off so that was cancelled. And I was called recently but got out of it due to my job.

Sorry 73, not 83!

I am the only person in my wider family group to have been called.
It was 30+ years ago and a very boring week, we spent much of the time in the corridor while they discussed "points of law".
I am not saying it is not a sound system and I don't know if a better or fairer system exists anywhere else in the world but on a personal level I just hope I don't get called again

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-36140259
This BBC article gives information on studies into jury service. Bullet points are:

According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Justice, there is about a 35% chance of people in England and Wales being summoned for jury service over the course of their lifetime. Only about half of those cited spend any time in court.

The chance of being called for jury service, as in receiving a citation for jury service, in Scotland is approximately 95% across the 53 years of typical eligibility. The probability of being asked to be part of a jury more than once is about 40%. The chance of actually serving on a Scottish jury is about 30%.

I was called for the first time this year at 62. My son got called just as he left university at 21!

It was a horrible experience and if I get called again I will do everything I can to get excused. Spread the pain around.

I've been called, it was a lot of waiting about and I didn't even see a case. Would be very happy to go again, I get paid time off for work and just felt so bad for the people who were struggling with the time off when I went.

I did it when I was 18 (literally 1 month after becoming an "adult") and in my first year of uni. Inconvenient but exciting. I did two cases I think. Haven't been called since and nobody I know has ever been called in at all🤔

A few people have said it was a horrible experience.

That's interesting @jcyclops . I don't know why, but I assumed it was quite a lot higher than that.
I mean, I understand randomness, and that people can be called more than once when others aren't called at all, but, considering how many people get called every fortnight, with so many then never actually sitting on a case and so forth, I'd have thought that the odds of being called were much higher.

I didn't get called until well into my 50s, then, weirdly got called the next year too - but was allowed to turn it down as I had recently served.

Interestingly different in the two countries!

I've done it but I don't know anyone else who has

I'm from a large family and, to my knowledge, none of us has ever been called to jury service.

I would love to but never been called, none of my siblings have or any of our adult DC nor DM
My DF now deceased got called 6 or 7 times and only said no the last time when he was well into his 70s

Ooh l loved doing it. Been called up twice, ten years apart

My sister has done it, my brother was called but excused due to the job I was doing at the time and his wife has just been excused as she’s breastfeeding. I’d really like to do it, but nothing yet.

I've never been called. My late dad was but this was before I was born (1981ish I would guess).

There's an age marker on the electoral register now so if you're over that age and you've provided your age or date of birth for the electoral register you shouldn't get called.

I would love to do it, my family wouldn't.

Two former colleagues have done it that I can recall. One had a drug dealing related trial and quite enjoyed it. The other had a child abuse one and hated every minute (for the obvious reasons).

I've been called 3 times. The first time I wasn't needed after I called the jurors line the day before. The other 2 times my line manager told me I couldn't be off work indefinitely (NHS) and as it was the high court ,a trial could go on for weeks.My line manager wrote a letter asking for me to be excused.DH and DCs have each been called once

I've never been called. My mum has done it twice and a work colleague and his wife have been called. It's so random.

In my immediate family only my dad has been called I believe. He did it and said it was boring.

I've always wanted to do it but a close friend of mine did one last year and has been on antidepressants since. That's kind of put me off.