Jury Service

[Littleali]

Hey, I've been called up!

EEK

just wondering if anyone here has done it and can tell me what to expect?

how long will i be there? a few hours, 4+ hours, All day?

I am nervous

x

[katchika]

I think you're lucky, I'd like to be on a jury and your work have to give you time off (I think).

Most trials don't last very long, only a day or two but some can go on for months. I'm sure it won't though.

Oh, and usually, 24 people are called up, but only 12 are selected. So you may not actually become part of the jury but you will have to go in for one morning.

[squeal]

Aww how exciting, i'd love that, my aunty has been called up twice but she turned it down both times!

[Territt]

ive been callied up two, for the 14th if i remember right

[Mr Orange]

How long have you been allowed to turn it down?

I always thought if you were called up you had to do it, unless you were in some way related or knew somebody involved in the case?

[Calvin]

Part of me wishes I would get called for Jury services, but a friend did have to do jury services (I wont get into details of what happened) but it put me off wanting to do jury duty for good. There is so much other shit that comes with the duty. Personally I would try every trick in the book to get out of it.

I'm not saying every person who does jury duty is going to encounter problems, I'm sure you will just end up with a shoplifter from PoundStrecher, and be out in time for dinner :thumb:

[squeal]

How long have you been allowed to turn it down?

I always thought if you were called up you had to do it, unless you were in some way related or knew somebody involved in the case?

Yeah there are quite a few ways for example if you are over 65, have exams, have served within the past 2 years or if you are in the armed forces. There are plenty more but that is what i can remember off the top of my head.

In my aunts case she has 2 young children and to pay for a child minder just wasn't enough for what was offered whilst she was on the jury.

[Sofie]

Yeah there are quite a few ways for example if you are over 65, have exams, have served within the past 2 years or if you are in the armed forces. There are plenty more but that is what i can remember off the top of my head.

:yes:

your work have to give you time off (I think).

I think it depends. My mum once got called up but work won't allow time off because they would've been understaffed or something.

[Scary Monster]

Where's it for? There's quite a variation in what happens between the different courts.

Basically you'll have to turn up the first morning and take it from there.

What seems to happen fairly often is you turn up that morning, spend a lot of time hanging around and then repeat this process for several days until they tell you not to bother.

[Littleali]

i have had to reschedule my driving test because of it lol

i'm lookin forward to it tho, just nervous and not sure what it'll entail n shit

[Littleali]

I think it depends. My mum once got called up but work won't allow time off because they would've been understaffed or something.

no, they have to, its the law :thumb:

[Littleali]

Where's it for? There's quite a variation in what happens between the different courts.

Basically you'll have to turn up the first morning and take it from there.

What seems to happen fairly often is you turn up that morning, spend a lot of time hanging around and then repeat this process for several days until they tell you not to bother.

warrington crown court

i work 6-9

i presume i'd be home by then? it wont run that long in the day will it? x

[Scary Monster]

Should be able to get to work fine for that.

The only problem will be if you actually end up on a jury and in a long deliberation where they have to put you into a hotel. You can tell them you've got to be somewhere at 6pm each day though and they should be able to accomodate that.

In answer to the question about avoiding it on work grounds:

Theoretically your work *have* to let you go, but they can ask to have it postponed if it's going to be seriously problematic for them. If that happens though, you usually just get put back on the list.

[Littleali]

Should be able to get to work fine for that.

The only problem will be if you actually end up on a jury and in a long deliberation where they have to put you into a hotel. You can tell them you've got to be somewhere at 6pm each day though and they should be able to accomodate that.

Theoretically your work *have* to let you go, but they can ask to have it postponed if it's going to be seriously problematic for them. If that happens though, you usually just get put back on the list.

time off work shouldnt be a problem

i just dunno if i'd need to book it off or not

may book the 1st day off and see what time i get home for then take it from there

cheers x

[Hellfire]

no you need to explain your on jury duty etc, and show them the letter, it does NOT affect your holiday entitlement

[Littleali]

no you need to explain your on jury duty etc, and show them the letter, it does NOT affect your holiday entitlement

i know that

but if i finish at 4pm i can be in work for 6 so there's no point takin it off if i dont need to

i'll just take the monday off and see how long i'm there for :thumb:

[Hellfire]

i know that

but if i finish at 4pm i can be in work for 6 so there's no point takin it off if i dont need to

i'll just take the monday off and see how long i'm there for :thumb:
why not ;) COURT pays the fees if you miss work ;)

[z-]

why not ;) COURT pays the fees if you miss work ;)

aye milk the fuck out of it

i wouldnt fancy doing that jury service shit

[Crystal Tipps]

My boss got out of jury service a few months ago because our company had just been taken over and he couldn't afford to have two weeks off work; was needed for meeting after meeting etc.

I think you can turn it down twice, then you have to do the third one, no excuses.

[diddlybop]

You don't actually get out of doing jury service I think - you just postpone it until such a time when you are able to do it.

You are not supposed to go to work (even if your working hours will be after those of the court) because youre days at the court is considered youre working day.

If you want to postpone it you have to give them a good reason why - also if you get called up and chosen to be on the jury of a case which may take a few weeks you can ask to be taken off the jury (at the judges discretion) if it will be a great inconvenience to you/your place of work

When I did jury service you had to go to the court and spend all day there until the end - it can be very boring so take books/magazines/mp3 player etc.

You might not actually end up on a jury panel, you may just have to sit around for 2 weeks!

[squeal]

You don't actually get out of doing jury service I think - you just postpone it until such a time when you are able to do it.



You can. If you have a valid excuse then they will dismiss you.

[diddlybop]

I think you mean valid reason ;)

[Crystal Tipps]

Sorry I was wrong.

Info:

http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/juror/jury_service/index.html

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/WorkingHoursAndTimeOff/DG_10037655

[Mist]

Take a book or something along with you because a lot of it can just be sitting around.

Go to your hr or manager with the jury service letter and get excused from work. You could (in theory) be on a complicated case from 9-5, so working in the evenings is not particularly that great. The courts will pay you for your time so unless you have a particularly well paid evening job you won't lose out.

[Sofie]

no, they have to, its the law :thumb:

They had no choice but not let her go as there's meant to be a certain amount of staff to a certain amount of kids (she used to work in a pre-school) and they had no-one to cover her.

[Littleali]

They had no choice but not let her go as there's meant to be a certain amount of staff to a certain amount of kids (she used to work in a pre-school) and they had no-one to cover her.

even so, they cant refuse to let her have the time off, it is against the law

luckily your mum was nice about it, but if she hated her boss, she could have just taken it off, they couldnt have said no :)

she can apply for it to be deffered (sp) but not her employer

[Littleali]

Take a book or something along with you because a lot of it can just be sitting around.

Go to your hr or manager with the jury service letter and get excused from work. You could (in theory) be on a complicated case from 9-5, so working in the evenings is not particularly that great. The courts will pay you for your time so unless you have a particularly well paid evening job you won't lose out.

i'd make more not going to work lol

just dont like lettin people down

but if needs must *sly chuckle* i suppose i could stay off work lol

[kwakfanatic]

The whole point of them paying for jury service is that your normal work is not affected- you take the time off, and don't lose out. Most companies will pay you as if you were at work and will keep the jury money as compensation, but companies can refuse to pay you whilst you are on civic duty and you would be reliant on the jury payment. The jury payment is about £50 a day if memory serves me right, which isn't that good.

A lot of the time will involve sitting around, especially on a Monday which is traditionally the day when pleas are taken. Juries don't sit in plea hearings. You might not be selected even though you are on the panel- the court clerk chooses 12 random people from a bag.

Being on a jury means concentrating for a long period of time, and it can be very tiring, especially if you don't understand everything that is going on. Most trials are fairly straight forward but even in a small trial there is a lot to take in, and you really need to be paying attention.

[Littleali]

i'd get £29 odd a day, more than i'd get if i went in work haha

f u are not selected, do u get to go home?

[Sofie]

i'd get £29 odd a day, more than i'd get if i went in work haha

f u are not selected, do u get to go home?

I assume so. And I thought you only got paid the amount you would've lost if you'd been at work?