being excused jury service

[HaggisPakora]

At the age of almost 52 have been cited for jury service for the first time ever. I don't in principle object to doing it, but the week they have asked for is the one week we have a holiday booked!! I can prove this booking and have sent off the email confirmation to the court.

I am assuming the fact I was planning to be in the US that week will be enough grounds to cancel? And will they just shove it back a bit so I can expect another citation soon?

No - it's Glasgow.

The first time I was called I was actually abroad and missed the deadline that I had to contact them by... the dates weren't suitable as I was supposed to be away then too. They finally pushed the date back, but I still had to do it.

I was called about ten yrs ago then gp wrote to them saying I had just been treated for psychosis and I was never called again . Husband was called , gp wrote and told them he was my carer so far he's never been called again .

Just popping back... was excused serving in March when I was away on holiday, but have been cited again for the end of May. No excuse to get out of it this time. Same court, hoping it will just be a week.

Aaargh - just been called for High Court jury service at the end of July

Have immediately sent an email saying that I should be excused as of right as it's only 3.5 years since I last served (sheriff court that time)

Is it really so difficult to put a tag beside people's names so that they're not called for the full 5 years that they can be excused as of right?

Memo to self: in future keep citations so that I have a record. I can only pinpoint the time that I last served (in the Odeon as it was during Covid ) because I sent dh a WhatsApp message saying I'd been discharged (boring case pled out after a couple of days) on 10 December 2020 - and I never delete my WhatsApp messages

A woman who served with me said the time had been cut to 2.5 years, really hope you get out of it!

Having read the guidance it seems the woman who served with me could have asked for excusal and didn’t: more fool her!!

@HaggisPakora - I double checked the current guidance (as per the link they provided ) before emailing.

It's just 2 years if you get called but are not then selected in the ballot.

So as you say, more fool her

Actually, doing it as a Google, if she did look it up, I bet she forgot to specify Scotland, as it would appear that the gov.uk (ie English and Welsh courts) says it's just 2 years.

Dh got called for the end of May and spent the week phoning up the high court. The following week Ds had the same court and a week of phoning up only to both be no longer required on Thursday night.

I've had that twice with the High Court: once ringing up on the Sunday night and being told I wouldn't be needed at all and the other having to ring up every day for a week before being told I was no longer required.

The only problem is that that only excuses you for 2 years.

They've definitely got us both on a list of "they'll turn up" potential jurors as we both seem to be called as soon as our exempt period is up and even before then

I have sat on jury twice (once high court and once sheriff) and am forever getting citations (three in the last 12 months for example) …. There must be other people to ask! My work have written and asked for me to be excused, again. I know the justice system is important etc but so many people I know have never been called and I seem to be a ‘favourite’!

Well, you’ve had the benefit of the criminal justice system all your life so this is your civic
duty in return.

But I’m sure you believe in a trial by your peers? If you don’t go - who do you expect should?

I would also take issue with a "jury of your peers". It's a jury of the people who are registered voters, who respond to citations, turn up on the day, are not convicted criminals, or police officers / lawyers, and who haven't got a good enough excuse to get out of it.

When I did jury service the jury was 100% white British, native English speakers, youngest juror was about 40, all fairly educated professionals with good jobs living in "nice" areas. Many of us had very little in common with the defendant and main witness who were in their very early 20s, both from chaotic family backgrounds, unemployed, poorly educated....

Most other countries in the world don't have trial by jury.

Glad you have been excused. I HATE the fact that people are forced - by law - into jury service. Some people want to do it and never get asked, and others are forced into it - who don't want to!

I will never be asked. Thankfully.

You can apply to have jury service moved to a time when you are quieter. You fill in the form and put down 3 alternative dates. They pick a date and they reschedule it. I did this 2 weeks ago.

They won't excuse you completely because you are self employed though.

I wrote that I am contractually obligated to provide a service to my clients that they have already booked. I said my quiet period is in November- January so could do it then. I'm doing it in November.

Ds' girlfriend, who has been on the electoral register in Glasgow for a whole 6 months, has been cited for jury service at the High Court

My colleague has been cited for August. I'm still not convinced how random it is. And I have not been called since my GP said I was medically unfit at this time.

Dh and I are not at all convinced it's random . We've both served SO many times : almost as soon as we're eligible again . And in my recent recent citation, 18 months before I. should've been called again