Jury duty on maternity leave

[CaribouMoo]

I got a letter calling me up for jury duty when my DS was 5 weeks old. I applied for exemption on that basis, saying that I would appreciate it being deferred until I go back to work next year. They gave me an exemption but did mention that I may be required for service again in Oct. The letter arrived yesterday calling me up again. My baby is 21 weeks now.

The letter is accompanied by forms for expenses for childminders or someone to look after a dependent adult - so being a primary care giver obviously isn't an automatic reason for exemption. I'm finding it hard to understand how you can be legally entitled to time off work to look after and bond with your baby yet at the same time can be called away from your baby to do jury duty. I'm probably getting my knickers in a twist over nothing but would hate to be selected then end up on a lengthy trial away from my baby. I'm really hacked off about it.

Does anyone else have any experience of this or know if I am obliged to attend while on maternity leave? Thanks in advance

Write to them today telling them that you have a 21 week old baby and that you cannot do jury service within the next 12 months. Send a copy of the birth certificate.

"Dear Sirs,

Thank you for your letter dated regarding jury service.

I cannot serve on a jury because I am looking after a 21 week old baby. I enclose a copy of the birth certificate. Please will you excuse me from jury service.

My contact details are address, telephone .

Yours faithfully.
Your name"

Write today or tomorrow, don't wait to reply.

Wait to see what the reply is. If they say no you'll have to do it. There are details about childcare cost arrangements on the following webpage :

www.direct.gov.uk/en/CrimeJusticeAndTheLaw/Juryservice/DG_072707

Surely if you are bf a 21 week old there is no way you can do this...

Sounds like they haven't quite caught up with the current trend to take a year off.

Mine were born in the early 90s so I had to go back to work when they were 12 weeks old

Jury Service is considered a Public Duty, not employment, and so can happen during maternity leave.

But a deferment can be, according to the direct.gov website, for up to a year. They appear to have deferred you by only 16 weeks - so it might be worth going back to them and negotiating. But as you can only normally be deferred once, you might be unlucky. But worth a shot, and you most charming manner.

Thanks all. Tanya I sent his birth certificate last time but will do so again. They sent me a letter ages ago asking if I had any holidays planned and I replied telling them my baby was due in July 10. Sadly, I lost that baby and a subsequent baby, so thought I better send his birth certificate in to show I wasn't fabricating pregnancies to get out of it! Doris I'm not BFing anymore but had mentioned it in the first exemption application so they're not to know that.

Mumble I had 6 months with DD but she was around 5 months when I went back to work and I really wasn't ready -I cried every morning for a month walking to the train station. I was just saying to friends a few days ago that I am so happy to be with DS during this time, seeing his 'firsts' instead of hearing about them second time. I feel really strongly about potentially having to give that up and I'm definitely not prepared to hand him over to strangers. Can't imagine how you must have felt with your LOs only being 12 weeks old.

Scarevola I will try again - I'm not sure whether to try calling them instead of writing again. I really wanted someone to come on and tell me that they were wrong and I didn't have to go! Thanks for the advice though.

DH managed to defer 3 times - once at uni, once during exams, and once when we had honeymoon booked. He finally managed to complete jury service last year! It is definitely possible to defer more than once.

In your polite letter, ask where you will be able to express and store breastmilk (toilets are not suitable) and that you do this at 10am and 2pm daily, lasting 25 mins each time.
Bet they let you off then!

Yes, politely (but clearly) make it apparent that it will be a major pain in the arse for all concerned for you to do jury duty at this time.

Christ - If I was called up for Jury Service right now, there would be no way I could do it! I am a lone parent with 4 dc, 2 who have SN and I cannot find a childcarer willing to look after my 13yo with asd, and my 9mo baby is bf - and cannot take a bottle due to a medical problem, so cannot be left with anyone. WTF would I do if I was called up for jury service?

I found them quite reasonable. I have medical problems that would make sitting in a courtroom for hours a day very difficult and painful for me. I got called up and filled out the form to say that I was happy to do it but they'd have to somehow provide a way for me to stand up, walk around and generally get moving every 20 minutes or so, and I couldn't guarantee I'd not end up having to go off sick. They got back to me very quickly and told me I was excused.

Yes, I was pleasantly surprised to be excused so quickly the last time - just wish they hadn't called me up again so soon after! I think I'll do as Scarevola suggests and ask that they let me defer for the maximum 12 months and hope for the best.

It will be fine - I deferred twice. I got called up once when I was 38 weeks PG with DS1 and told them that I couldn't serve then or within the next 12 months because I would be on maternity leave.

Then I got called up again when DS2 was about 8 weeks old and I told them again that I couldn't serve due to exclusively breast-feeding a small child and not having any affordable childcare for a baby under 1 year.

Both times I was immediately excused and they didn't call me back. I think they realise that with small children it can be practically unfeasible to arrange short-term childcare.

I was called up when ds1 was very tiny.

I wrote and explained the situation and got a letter back virtually by return of post giving me a date to start a year and a day later!

Work weren't too impressed as I'd only just gone back, but there was nothing I could do about it!

I'm sure they will defer it if you explain your circumctances.

Funny how once they've picked your name out of the hat they don't forget considering there's so many people who have never been picked.

Got a letter today confirming a further exemption until Oct 2012 after I said it was very kind of them to defer in July but could they please defer it for the maximum 12 months. Perhaps someone with more common sense or empathy reviewed it this time, who knows. Very pleased - thanks all for the suggestions and advice

Fantastic news Moo, really glad they saw sense

That's great news. Very reassuring to know that there is some sense being applied where it's necessary.

I'm really glad you got the result you were after!