Feeling furious about last minute jury duty change

[Bertieboo1]

I was notified in June that I had jury service starting 19th September (so tomorrow). I had deferred this from October last year as my DS was due on the second. I got the deferral, all good.

I got everything arranged for Monday - cover at work (which has cost work quite a lot of money), extra childcare (I work part time), husband ready to pick children up if they are ill and taking a day a week off work for the next two weeks at least.

I got home from work on Friday to another letter from the court- I assumed it was more info about ?Monday but instead it stated my duty starts a week on Tuesday. No reference to the 19th at all. I tried to ring the court but at 4.45pm everyone had gone home.

Just wondered if anyone had heard of such a last minute change? I am absolutely furious. I totally understand the requirement to do jury duty and once I had got everything arranged I was ready to go. With a job and two children under 3 a change like this will cost us and my work a considerable amount of money. It just seems totally unprofessional to notify me a working day before I am due to start of a change in date!

I am going to go on Monday and show my original letter, explain the situation and see if
I can start but I am not holding my breath. My DH says I should stage a sit in!

I would just take the original letter and don't even reference the second one. Just turn up and see what happens

So would I. Just go in ready to start on Monday, with the original information.

This is a good plan. Tbh if the post had been a bit later I may not have got the letter til Monday anyway (our Sat delivery is a bit hit and miss). Just can't believe it. Do they not think people have lives?? Unless it is an admin error crosses fingers

Jury service is rather last minute at times and can vary a lot.
For example it's very common to turn up and be sent back to work if there's no jury selection that day. Or if you're on a jury and a member doesn't turn up you all get sent into work. And obviously trial length varies if you're selected (one I was on was over a month - work not happy!)
So it's difficult for employers and employees.
Never heard of what you're describing though. You could turn up and see but if no trials are being selected I expect they'll send you into work. Worth a try though if near.

I suspect this is because there are no (or not many) new trials starting on Monday. I work in criminal law. You'll more than likely be wasting your time going tomorrow. A friend of mine was recently on jury service, they messed her around constantly for a fortnight, the system is a nightmare for working parents, especially people that work part time, real hassle to juggle. It does need sorting out

I was recently a witness in a crown court case, my evidence took around ten minutes, I was there for four whole days over the two week trial! First day of trial, victim turned up late so postponed until following week. Next week was some problem with jury and victim finally started giving evidence the following day but got too distressed so it was carried on to next day and so on. I was the only witness and had to take four days off work ( unpaid ) to give ten minutes of evidence! I just sat day after day in the witness room, I'm guessing the poor jury had to do the same in their room.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think you are right that possibly not many or any trials starting ?Monday so they have randomly selected me to be moved. I wouldn't mind if it had been with more notice but I guess trials get moved all the time. Grr! The court is just round the corner from work so think I will pop in anyway and express my unhappiness.

I'd go in with the original letter, deny all knowledge of the later one and perhaps they'll just take your service as starting tomorrow? Even if they send you away cos there's nothing doing, at least that's got to be better than putting it back a week?

They probably didn't know they wouldn't need you until they sent the letter. And don't forget jury duty might be a couple of weeks or a lot bloody longer. You might be dismissed early or get on a long case. Sorry.

So I went today and begged them to let me officially start it, and they let me. I then rang the main office and apparently they had had a conversation with me a week ago when I consented to move the start date. My jaw dropped! I had not had a conversation! My phone records prove this. However we agreed to disagree as fortunately I had started. Luckily no extra long cases are pending apparently so unlikely to have to do more than 2 weeks. I wouldn't have minded this obviously just galling to have paid for childcare etc and cover at work then not to have it used at all!