Anyone know about jury summons when pregnant/breastfeeding

[MummyToOneForNow]

I've just received a Jury Summons and will be 36 weeks pregnant on the date it starts. I also have a 19mth old to care for. Although I would be happy in principle to do Jury Service I'm not happy about leaving such young children in the next couple of years. What grounds can I apply for deferral or excusal on? I'm guessing that being so close to my delivery date might be enough for deferral but am planning to breastfeed for at least a year and can't see doing jury service being that compatible with it.

Anyone have any experience?

Not exactly. I was supposed to be giving evidence in a trial while heavily pg in a city over an hour's drive from my home. It was postponed, and reschduled for while I was bfing on demand. Then the defendant pled guilty and I wasn't called. But made me feel v stressed at the time, as I was assured by many people it wouldn't be taken as an exemption. They may be more lenient for jury service, though.

Just phone them up and explain and they will defer you.

I have been called twice and on both occasions I was either breastfeeding or heavly pregnant. I wrote explaining this and did not have to do either.

I wrote and explained that I would either be heavily pregnant and after the event would be breastfeeding so would need facilities for expressing and storage. Didin't hear anything further.

Finally got summoned again abuot 4 years later.

Thanks for the quick responses! I am going to ask for excusal at this time rather than deferral as with deferral you have to give specific dates you are not available in the next 12 months and I don't think I can reasonably do it for the whole period. Fingers crossed!

I got a letter from my GP stating that I was pregnant (and had morning sickness) and was excused for the next five years.

I had to pay £10 for the letter.

I wrote a letter enclsoing my MATB1, so didn't need to pay the GP. It so happened that my jury service eilgibility "activiated" in August (I had served 5 years previous to that, in Agusut) and ds was due in September.

So I told thme that, plus the fact that afterwards I'd be preastdeefing and they'd have to supply facilities etc - didn't hear back.

They tried again at the beginning of the following year: I gave them the wrok dates i wasn't avalaible (back then, you only got 4 months maternity leave ) and then also said i was still breastfeeding (and would do so for at least a year), so they would have to supply facilities to express plus a fridge for storage . Didin't hear from them again that year.

I wrote a letter to the effect that I couldn't sit stilll for more than 15 minutes and my farts would clear a room in seconds

Got out of it

good luck to you