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Original poster

anyone deferred or been excused from jury service?

26 replies

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 17/07/2006 17:42

and if so on what grounds? for the first time in 6 years I had a month to myself - kids in school, not working, was planning to spend a bit of time on the house and get fit (honest) etc etc. then blummin jury summons comes through. I might technically still be a student, but will have finished my course. I'm on sabbatical from my job so not sure what happens if jury service extends past my dats for going back to work

OP posts:

Piffle · 17/07/2006 17:44

jury service means your work still has to pay you I believe... national duty and all that...

teabags · 17/07/2006 17:45

you can normally defer once and they will book you in again later in the year, but I think you need a reason
Can you say you have a holiday booked ( I don't know if they will ask for proof)

twocatsonthebed · 17/07/2006 17:51

I was deferred (and never called up again) but I was a freelance working on a contract basis, so could prove that I would lose months of earnings if I did jury service. Not sure if that helps, really.

MrsDoolittle · 17/07/2006 17:52

I was working in Guernsey at the time they asked me

MrsWobble · 17/07/2006 18:01

I was due to give birth so they offered me deferral but when I then pointed out that it would be no easier with a 6 month old baby they excused me. I was surprised how easy it was - they asked me to write and confirm the conversation but didn't ask for proof. I was glad to have a valid excuse as I didn't want to do it and hope not to get called again.

cece · 17/07/2006 18:23

Dh deferred his as he had just started a new job. He is now doing his jury service and has been since the beginning of May due to finish in about 2-3 weeks time!

Expectantmum · 17/07/2006 18:30

My MIL was excused but that was because I think she was a complete pain in the backside, they were willing to get rid of her!! She just kept on complaining to them how terrible her journey was etc etc Mrs Bucket eat your heart out

HRHQueenOfQuotes · 17/07/2006 18:34

my mum was excused years ago as she had spent some time working in the cafeteria in the Police Station. She's never been asked since - and I believe she'd be excused anyhow due to her disabilities.

cece · 17/07/2006 18:39

you can defer once but when you get recalled it is very difficult to get out of doing a certain case or so it seems. The judge on DH case wouldn't even let a man with a dying best friend off. he just said they would lcose down for the day so he could go to the funeral

teabags · 17/07/2006 18:41

if all else fails and you get picked, pretend you think you know the accused from somewhere........!? (I'm joking, but it'd work!)

Original poster

thewomanwhothoughtshewasahat · 17/07/2006 18:49

difficult to know what to do. dh reckons I ought to say that the call-up date is in the last month of my 12 month sabbatical that I had taken to study and that I will not get the chance to have this time again as my return date to work can't be delayed (unless the jury service itself was ongoing, in which case work would have to let me finish it) - all of which is true. but the risk is that I then get called up the same week as we;ve booked to go on holiday next year and woldn't be able to defer again, which would mean large amounts of money down the pan. I want to do it as (possibly naively) I think it would be interesting but just don't want to do it this Sep.

OP posts:

canadianmum · 17/07/2006 18:51

I got excused for being a SAHM, can you use that one?

CristinaTheAstonishing · 17/07/2006 18:52

I got excused last summer. My DD was 4-5 months old and I was breastfeeding and said I couldn't find childcare for her at such short notice anyway.

cece · 17/07/2006 19:44

I think you can put dates of holidays on your deferment form, can't you?

Anyway I changed DH deferred date for one about 2 weeks later as I had a mc. There is a phone number and they were pretty good about it.

pinkmama · 17/07/2006 20:01

I got excused earlier this year. I had 6 month baby, 4 year old and 8 year old. I just sent form back saying I was breastfeeding and that deferrment would be no good either as in a years time I would still have childcare issues as jury service doesnt end at school pick up time. Form came straight back saying I was excused. I was actually bit disappointed it came through then. Always fancied doing it, but know so few people who get called. May not get a chance again! If you dont have anyone to get kids at end of school I would say you would realistically had reason for not doing it.

Ellbell · 17/07/2006 20:04

Dh deferred at the end of last year because he was about to start a new job. He had to do it in May this year, so I'd guess that it was put back by about 6 months or so.

You may still get some time to yourself. He did two weeks, but was only actually involved in cases for about 5 days out of 10. He was sent home the rest of the time.

Ellbell · 17/07/2006 20:04

Dh deferred at the end of last year because he was about to start a new job. He had to do it in May this year, so I'd guess that it was put back by about 6 months or so.

You may still get some time to yourself. He did two weeks, but was only actually involved in cases for about 5 days out of 10. He was sent home the rest of the time.

SoupDragon · 17/07/2006 20:20

I was excused on childcare grounds. DS1 was 5 and DS2, 3 I think.

donnie · 17/07/2006 20:24

I was called a few yrs ago and deferred on the grounds that it was the run up to GCSEs and A levels ( I'm a secondary school teacher) and that was accepted. Hpwever, I was recalled about 6 months later and told I could not defer again.

Jury service is a great thing really - being part of the judicial process and all that. I really valued my experience in the end, even though it was pretty inconvenient.

shoppingsecret · 17/07/2006 21:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Skribble · 17/07/2006 21:13

I was excused as I explained I had no one to drop off or pick up the kids from school.

Posey · 17/07/2006 21:14

Dh was deferred on health grounds (had had a very rocky time health-wise and didn't want to balls up an entire case by becoming sick part way through)
He was recalled within a year and spent a fortnight on it.

expatinscotland · 17/07/2006 21:16

dh was. there is no exemption for being primary caregiver to non-school aged children. well, we hadn't a penny to spare, so hiring a sitter was out. MIL was going to take them the day he was to report, but she fell ill w/her diabetes.

so he reported. w/a 2.5 year old and 4 month old in tow.

they sent him home.

Thomcat · 17/07/2006 21:24

my mum. Just had a brother sent to prison and found the whole thing too stressful so was excused, twice. When she watche4d her brother get sent down one of the jurors was wearing a t-shirt that said 'criminal' on it and even the judge thought the case was ridiculous but jurors still found him guilty. She jutvcouldn'\t face being a juror and told them so.

Goldfish · 17/07/2006 21:31

I was excused as I told them I was b/feeding my 4 month old. I just rung them and told them and they straight away said ok. That was 10 years ago.

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