the court system has asked me to PROVE I am BF!

[aaaghHumbug]

I have been called for jury service.

I filled in the form saying that I couldn't as I am BF (giving the DOB of baby).

I got a letter back asking for a letter from my GP or HV to confirm that I am BF.

I phoned them in a rage (but politely) saying that I found the letter insulting. The admin person agreed that the wording is "unfortunate" and told me that they have received photos before. WTF?? They also said that a copy of my employers letter stating that I am on mat leave would do. I don't think this is good enough and would like to complain about the BF issue.

Any help with a letter back would be appreciated.

(Unless you think I am a loon and that this is a reasonable request?)

I asked to be excused jury service when my baby was 4months old.
I initially telephoned and then filled in the forms - they were accepted without quibble and I have still not been on jury service more than 8 years later.

I am completely boggling that they should
a) question your honesty in this way
b) are so clueless about the process of BFing that they think you can prove anything.

Strangely enough, there is very little information available online about the Jury Central Summoning Bureau, especially who might be in charge of it.

OP have you tried contacting the Jury Central Summoning Bureau instead of your local court?

You can reach them on:
tel 0845 803 8003 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)

[email protected]

It is not just with mat leave / BF that one has to provide evidence... its anything one presents as a reason to be excused / deferred. Sadly not everyone tells the truth with reasons for such when summoned to do do jury service .

However amybe the letter could have been worded better to indicate that evidence of maternity leave would be evidence enough !

Mind you not everyone that has a baby is on maternity leave so maybe thats why a gp letter the most definate "proof" of recent birth ???

That is really bizarre. I was asked to do Jury service 4 years ago. I declined as DD2 was only a couple of months old. In the box asking why I couldn't I just put that as DD was so small and I was breastfeeding I couldn't leave her all day. I didn't have to provide any evidence, not even a birth certificate. They agreed to defer it but I haven't heard anything back about going again. I would love to do it but would have to defer again as I am studying now and can't afford the time off college

Good lord that letter is even more idiotic than it sounded in your OP

Here's my effort:

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your letter dated [x].

I am surprised to be asked to provide proof of the way I am feeding my baby. I am breastfeeding in line with current NHS abd indeed World Health Organisation guidance. I would be grateful if you could please arrange for my jury service to be postponed because:

(i) I am currently on maternity leave in order to care for my baby (please find enclosed a copy of both the letter from my employer confirming details of this leave, and a copy of my baby's birth certificate); and

(ii) i would like to avoid the court incurring extra costs in these austere times, and prior to attending court with my baby I would need to see a copy of the Risk Assessment the court would be required to undertake in line with current Health & Safety Executive guidance as per the attached briefing. If my period of jury
service is postponed the court won't have to go to the trouble of providing such an assessment.

On a more practical note, there are two further factors to consider. Firstly my baby will not take a bottle so I need to be close to the baby as otherwise there would be significant risk of both distress and dehydration. Secondly, if I were to attend court with my baby there may be disruption if baby cries.

In light of all the above, I would be grateful if you could please postpone my service until after [date].

Yours sincerely,

Kinda tempting to just turn up with LO as the 13th jurer "well little humbug thinks you did it so...."

I wonder what they would do if you wanted to do jury service and were BF ie. what allowances they'd make, if any, under the equality act.

If nothing else, it's a very interesting thread! Hope you get it resolved OP :)

showof, as a serving member of the police force we are actually disallowed from taking part in any form of jury service. Why on earth was your dh not only summoned, but then hassled when he informed them that he wasn't allowed?

LilBlonde I think that changed in 2004? Various groups who were previously excluded like lawyers had their automatic exemption removed. Obviously in many cases exemption is appropriate but it's judged on a case by case basis now.

In Scotland those exemptions still exist anyway.

Link to law on jury service exclusions for those that like such things: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/44/schedule/33

I think it applies to whole of uk but I'm no expert on this.

official .gov guide to Jury Service... Postponement covered under section 3

see p4 of this Government Guide to the Equality Act, which covers breast feeding "no matter how old the baby is"

X post Celine

Hmm. It does seem different for Scotland but it's not terribly clear

In Scotland

There are a number of people ineligible according to the top PDF.

Bloody hell, OP, that is completely bonkers! As for asking for photographic evidence, I would be fuming about that. I haven't anything to add but please keep us posted about what happens.

What everyone else said about the requirement being daft but....given that they are requesting proof, doesn't the red book have a note of how baby is being fed. Would they accept sight of the relevant page?

How does breastfeeding your baby mean that you can't do jury service? Can't you take him into court with you and pop him on your breast during the proceedings? Good luck!

I think the breast feeding is irrelevant actually. If you can't do jury service because you are still on mat leave then fair enough. But bf an 8 month old shouldn't stop you doing jury service.

Where do you propose the 8 month old goes during the court time TheEnthusiasticTroll? Pop it under the chair and tell it to be quiet? A child of that age will still need milk during the day. Jury service plus travel time you could be away for over ten hours. Not practical really.

An 8 month is not generally reliant on breast milk every day all day for general sustenance, I worked full time from my dd being 5 months old and bf exclusively and my dd refused a bottle at nursery so she survived without bm for the most part of an 8 hour day most days. So the baby does not need to be with the mother all day long when bf especially at 8 months.

If child care is an issue, again that is a separate issue to bf and would normally tie in with being on mat leave or a stay at home mum where normal child care has not other wise been arranged.

But that would be the same as any mother child set up exclusive to bf.

When I say bf exclusively I mean no formula my dd was weaning at that time so she did have food during her day.

Where do you propose the 8 month old goes during the court time TheEnthusiasticTroll? Pop it under the chair and tell it to be quiet? A child of that age will still need milk during the day. Jury service plus travel time you could be away for over ten hours. Not practical really.

Yes but like I say that is a child care issue and not bf issue

Etroll NOT ALL BABIES ARE THE SAME.

Maybe the OP's baby doesn't know that you think 8 month olds can go without milk for 10 hours a day....