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.

And if the OP did that she’d find herself having to arrange childcare because she’d be in jail !!

No she wouldn't.

As a lone parent on a very tight budget in an area with no childcare availability having to do jury duty would destroy me. Loss of earnings would wipe me out financially and take months, years even to recover. Struggling to make provision for my kids would be a nightmare, you can't "just get a childminder", "find a nanny", "get the neighbours to babysit" etc. If courts expect parents, especially lone parents or those with very young children to do jury duty then something needs to be done to make it more doable.

Really? That's your 2 pence worth after 17 pages?

The OP hasn't said no way, she organised childcare, it's fallen through, she's asked to defer, the member of staff she is dealing with is being a jobsworth.

Would you hand on your heart be able to do jury service if you were in her position?
DH can't take time off work without it having a massive financial impact for them, parents can't help, no child care whatsoever?
Thought not!

If she failed to attend without prior notice the court has the power to order the police to bring her to court. The maximum fine is £1000 and under the Jurors’ Act it’s contempt. Failure to pay the fine is also contempt and could result in a jail sentence. Probably wouldn’t, but the option is there for the judge.

God lord, dramatic much?

They're not going to put her in jail for being unable to attend jury service!

But there is prior notice, she's explained more than once to the court that she is trying to defer.

Not suggesting they would. Just pointing out the options available to the judge if she were to fail to attend without prior notice, as some people on here are suggesting. That’s contempt and carries a fine, as is failure to pay the resulting fine. OP has already indicated that finances are tight so that would likely be a disaster. There’s a lot of frothing about something that will probably prove quite easy to sort. OP contacts summoning officer, explains that she hasn’t been given enough notice to arrange childcare and asks for a deferral.

Another one on another planet if you think there's space in prison for that.

They did say ‘if’ - referring to the posters who are advising her to just not attend and sort it out on the day.

Not on another planet - just explaining the options from first hand experience of the process. And I did say it probably wouldn’t happen but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an option for contempt of court, which is what failing to attend actually is.

I think everyone on here understands that.

But most people cannot end up hundreds of pounds out of pocket for doing so. They also should not have to leave their child with a stranger. or have to mis vital exams - there is no way I would let my child miss his a-levels, or exams at university that could cause him to fail. There has to be, and there are, measures to prevent this. I've been pretty appalled at the "well, it's a duty you have to do it whether you then can't eat / pay your bills / have to leave your child with a stranger" to do so attitude.

My Mum has been permanently excused due to disability, she was called, got a doctors note and has now been marked as not to be called again. I think you are just on here spouting utter nonsense.

I've been pretty appalled at the "well, it's a duty you have to do it whether you then can't eat / pay your bills / have to leave your child with a stranger" to do so attitude.

Exactly. I think most people understand that it’s a duty (and also a privilege), but it needs to be workable.
A poster on here said she was still paying off a credit card for debt she incurred because of her jury duty, how is that acceptable?

But the OP isn't working so no employer to pay her

I'm surprised that university finals wouldn't be considered grounds for deferral. I had my own jury service deferred a quarter of a century ago because it clashed with my mock A-levels (not even real exams, just school mocks). I'm still waiting to find out when it's been deferred until - the call could come any second now!🤣

I think that not only do you not know what you’re talking about, you’re also very rude. I was a disability support worker for a charity for a number of years, came across this very situation quite a few times, and helped people to put together the evidence needed to be exempted or deferred, so I can tell you that this poster is correct. The Equality Act 2010 covers disability and jury service, and makes it clear that disability itself is not a reason for exemption and that any disabled person called to jury duty has a right to request that the court make reasonable adjustment to accommodate needs connected to their disability.

If the effect of the disability or health condition is such that it would be unreasonable to expect the person to serve then permanent exemption can be granted, but supporting medical evidence is usually needed. In your mums’ case I can only assume that the effect of her disability was severe enough to warrant permanent exemption, and that her doctor agreed to support this. That doesn’t mean it’s a given that every other person will be exempted - depends on the disability and whether reasonable adjustment can be made so that they can serve. Juries are supposed to represent a cross section of society. If exemption was automatically granted to disabled people, it wouldn’t be a true representation of society would it ?

Are you failing to understand that childcare, when you can find it, isn't free. And very far from cheap. You don't think that's an unreasonable expense? In my area, if you could get ad-hoc 2 weeks care (which you couldn't) prices start at £75 a day. But you would need to pay for a whole month, as well as a joining fee, and fee's for settling in sessions, because everyone understands you can't just a baby off with strangers with no build up.

Actually, if you read her updates she hasn’t. The first time she contacted them she asked to be excused and was refused. Being excused and being deferred are two different things. She’s updated to say that she’s now contacted the court to ask for a deferral on the grounds that it’s too short notice to arrange for childcare, and is waiting to hear.

Where did I say otherwise? Your post quoting me is completely irrelevant. I quoted a post saying employers let you have time off, which again is not applicable to this case

You didn't quote a post.

Well I meant to. But it still stands that I never mentioned anything about childcare

And there would be on site childcare provided.

yeah some people got very used to being a jobsworth during Covid and liked it far too much

the now out of no 10 Tory Government wanted EVERYONE to work no excuses. So do many people on here. Put the retirement age up and up This country also voted for the erosion of workers rights over and over again. These are the consequences. So OP will have to take her child. Tough shit.