To not understand what they expect me to do?

[bloodypublicservice]

I was called up for jury service starting in less than two weeks from now. I work Saturdays only as I otherwise do all of the childcare whilst my partner works full time. Originally I stated I was available as my MIL was going to have our daughter, however MIL has experienced a significant and unexpected health issue resulting in being hospitalised for the foreseeable. I've contacted the relevant department to have received a response stating that my request to be excused from this call for service has been refused and that I must still attend at the stated day/time. It mentions appealing but that a hearing is likely to be called, and given the start date is so soon, it's realistically not going to be resolved before starting.

WIBU to show up on my start date with my child and ask what else they expected me to do? We have no other local family and no provision for external childcare.

No one should be out of pocket at all. Too many people accept this and act like doormats

Couldn’t agree more. Some posters seem to be arguing just for the sake of it.

It is somewhat concerning that the official instructions re expenses state that jurors will be told how to claim at the end of their service! How do you manage to pay for transport, lunches, childcare and loss of income for possibly several weeks until the system decides to accept your claim and to reimburse you?
Mad system formulated by officials who have no imaginations or empathy.

I had to use my credit card, and I'm still paying it off.

Formulated by well off people with paid leave. They can't comprehend how other people might live

Thats awful. The system really needs to change!

Good luck @bloodypublicservice … I hope they let you.
I don’t think people with preschool aged children should be called soon. It’s unfair

I don’t think people with preschool aged children should be called soon. It’s unfair

I don't think it's unfair to call them but there needs to be more understanding!

I think I read that you can be excused for caring responsibilities.

Why that doesn't seem to apply to young kids-who knows?

When my son was called he said GF in hospital could he postpone and they were happy with that, he's had to provide dates when he can go but he's unlikely to get a pass again, baring a serious issue. Try asking to postpone. Good luck

employ a childminder or get hubby to take time off.

Did you miss the part where 'hubby' can't take time off? And why should he have to take unpaid leave or use annual leave (which he may not have). More to the point, why on earth should OP pay a childminder, even if she could get one at short notice?

Hoping you manage to get this sorted, let us know how you get on. My husband and I have each been called up. For my husband, I wrote a letter explaining that he was the main breadwinner and with the money which the courts paid each day he would be there, it would leave us in financial hardship. I gave a breakdown of his income and showed the shortfall in what they were prepared to pay and how this would affect us financially. He was excused.

When I had my letter, although I was absolutely dreading it, I didn't have a valid reason to be excused so I had to accept. As it turned out, I wasn't required to attend.

I looked at all options and I do know that they are not flexible in terms of childcare which is absolutely ridiculous! And as for partners who work, what employer would give an employee time off because their partner had to do jury service? I mean yes, it would be generous if they did but they don't have to. The courts don't take this into consideration.

They really are quite inflexible and as you say, they've got how many million other people they could choose, why make it so difficult for people with a genuine reason?

There are rules which you can read on this link. Ask for a deferral until a later date when family circumstances are able to arrange childcare:

They can prosecute you for wasting the courts time.
They will also want to know what you would do with your child if you were hospitalised, and expect you to do that.

Because every person I've ever known that has been called up for jury service thinks they have a valid reason not to serve!

I think it’s perfectly reasonable. You’ve potentially got 50 odd years of your life when you can do jury service. There are lots of people who can easily do it who don’t have caring responsibilities. They always call more people than needed and then excuse people for all sorts of reasons. I think the fact that you were willing to do it and made arrangements but they fell through shows you were willing to do it. A 14 month old can just be left with anyone at short notice.

Not having childcare/jury duty placing someone and their family in a precarious financial position /losing work or good faith from clients who might choose to go with a different companion if a self employed person is unavailable are all valid reasons to not want to do jury duty!!!
What other reasons did these people have that you're thinking of.

If the government cared about child care issues/cost of living and helped people perform jury service that's one thing. They don't give a F about the citizens

File the appeal, state no childcare, breastfeeding and too short notice for 2nd parent to make arrangements, no option to work from home etc.
Ask to defer.
It's their problem if their appeal is after the court timelines that they've kept too tight to turnaround. Cover your back and do what you've got to do.
Sorry sounds so hectic.

It's about time courts had crèches. It is not a fair & balanced justice system if an entire social category (mother's of young children) is consistently underrepresented in jury service. This should be the courts problem to solve, not the individuals.

I couldn’t believe this there’s no way I would leave my child with anyone for jury service for me it’s an unnecessary process and when called I told them as much I was excused

My situation exactly. I had to get a child minder was given no choice in the matter

I hope you would be able to be excused on health grounds. I have an extremely badly behaved stoma. If they made me do it, they'd regret it.

I’m 58 and I’ve never done it and I’d be happy to. I’m much better placed than OP, I don’t have any responsibilities other than work. I know they want to get a cross-section but maybe they should have a list of reserves who’ve never done it, like me.

This! I work with children and it would be very distressing for a child to start childcare without a settling period and full time for only two weeks and then be pulled out again!!

Very unsettling for the child, parent and the nursery (who I doubt would take on a new child for only two weeks).

Not sure if this has been clarified but they actually call up 14 people, when you get called into the court they give you basic detail of names etc and if there is a chance you know a witness/convicted etc or could been influenced due to a connection you are stepped down and one of the "reserves" is brought in... I know this as it happened to me.

You may not get picked out of the 14 to be the 12 called in, and could be dismissed part way through the day if the case doesn't go ahead is paused etc

I had one that was stopped because the person admitted guilt and therefore jury not needed.

Also remember you may be there for longer than 2 weeks but this is clarified and confirmed before the case starts to ensure all 12 can stay.

And if you do go in and there is not a unananimous decision before court closes the jury have to stay together behind closed doors in a designated hotel. But again you will become aware of this and most the jury will want to come to a decision on the same day

Jury service can be hard going and your mental health can be affected by the cases. One of mine was quite harrowing