Jury Service - advice please!
Discussion
Mrs.NCoT is being called up for Jury Service - a few questions!
1. The info says the average length of service is 2 weeks - how likely is this? If it is likely to go over that, will they tell you so that you can defer your service?
2. Is it still the case that you can apply for a deferral as a teacher, and if you do what are the chances of it then coming in the school holidays?
1. The info says the average length of service is 2 weeks - how likely is this? If it is likely to go over that, will they tell you so that you can defer your service?
2. Is it still the case that you can apply for a deferral as a teacher, and if you do what are the chances of it then coming in the school holidays?
You can explain to the usher that you would not find it practical to sit for more than 2 weeks when you are first registered upon arrival at court. The judges generally have a good idea of which cases are likely to go on for longer periods and you will usually be allocated to a case(s) that is likely to be short if you cannot be away from your employment.
When I served on a jury at Belmarsh, the first day was packed with about 4 or 5 times the number of potential jurors that would normally be needed. This was because the judge expected a trial to run for a very lengthy period and needed that many potential jurors to stand a chance of finding 12 people who could sit for an extended period. The lucky ones who were not required went straight home at the end of the first day and were excused from duty! Some people I met there however had been on a case for several months!!!
Do take reading material or a laptop etc as there is a LOT of waiting around to be called. You will have access to a locker to store anything you take whilst called to court.
Once you are allocated to a case it is very interesting.
When I served on a jury at Belmarsh, the first day was packed with about 4 or 5 times the number of potential jurors that would normally be needed. This was because the judge expected a trial to run for a very lengthy period and needed that many potential jurors to stand a chance of finding 12 people who could sit for an extended period. The lucky ones who were not required went straight home at the end of the first day and were excused from duty! Some people I met there however had been on a case for several months!!!
Do take reading material or a laptop etc as there is a LOT of waiting around to be called. You will have access to a locker to store anything you take whilst called to court.
Once you are allocated to a case it is very interesting.
Edited by 58warren on Thursday 15th April 22:57
GTIR said:
I was called up and much that I'd like to attend I couldn't possibly do it.
I wrote in and got a permanent deferral. Simple.
How did you managed that if you don't mind me asking? Mrs.NCoT is self employed and could end up losing future work over it (not just the work lost during the period she is called up for).I wrote in and got a permanent deferral. Simple.
I did Crown Court jury service a few years back, had to stay for the 2 week duration, spent most of it in a jury canteen with housewives who had all of a sudden found power in their lives.
Fecking boring, did two case that lasted approx 2hrs each.
Fecking boring, did two case that lasted approx 2hrs each.
Edited by 69 coupe on Saturday 17th April 21:37
NiceCupOfTea said:
Mrs.NCoT is being called up for Jury Service - a few questions!
1. The info says the average length of service is 2 weeks - how likely is this? If it is likely to go over that, will they tell you so that you can defer your service?
2. Is it still the case that you can apply for a deferral as a teacher, and if you do what are the chances of it then coming in the school holidays?
I was called up just over a year ago.1. The info says the average length of service is 2 weeks - how likely is this? If it is likely to go over that, will they tell you so that you can defer your service?
2. Is it still the case that you can apply for a deferral as a teacher, and if you do what are the chances of it then coming in the school holidays?
Ended up on a case that went on for 7 weeks. When they were selecting the jury from that case we were all (everyone on service but not currently on a case) called into the court. Numbers randomly drawn, and if called out, had to explain to the judge why you couldn't do it there and then.
He didn't take any bulls
t. None of this "ooh I don't really fancy this" was accepted. Only people running their own companies, undergoing medical treatment (with proof) or with holidays booked (with proof) were excused.Apart from sitting through 4 weeks of phone records being read out it was actually quite interesting...
Edited by BMWBen on Friday 16th April 08:00
NiceCupOfTea said:
GTIR said:
I was called up and much that I'd like to attend I couldn't possibly do it.
I wrote in and got a permanent deferral. Simple.
How did you managed that if you don't mind me asking? Mrs.NCoT is self employed and could end up losing future work over it (not just the work lost during the period she is called up for).I wrote in and got a permanent deferral. Simple.
NiceCupOfTea said:
GTIR said:
I was called up and much that I'd like to attend I couldn't possibly do it.
I wrote in and got a permanent deferral. Simple.
How did you managed that if you don't mind me asking? Mrs.NCoT is self employed and could end up losing future work over it (not just the work lost during the period she is called up for).I wrote in and got a permanent deferral. Simple.
I also said that it wasn't possible for anyone else to take over the phone due to the complex nature of my business.
Put as much info as possible and reiterate that your livelihood will suffer.
Goodluck.
GTIR said:
NiceCupOfTea said:
GTIR said:
I was called up and much that I'd like to attend I couldn't possibly do it.
I wrote in and got a permanent deferral. Simple.
How did you managed that if you don't mind me asking? Mrs.NCoT is self employed and could end up losing future work over it (not just the work lost during the period she is called up for).I wrote in and got a permanent deferral. Simple.
I also said that it wasn't possible for anyone else to take over the phone due to the complex nature of my business.
Put as much info as possible and reiterate that your livelihood will suffer.
Goodluck.
No me = no business = no money.
I was called into a case and as has already been said you get asked if you can attend the case as it may go on for sometime.
They needed one more person to make up the jury and they asked the lady next to me - I knew she was a Civil Servant so she was f*cked !!
Later found out from another guy who was on the jury that it was a city fraud case and it lasted for 3 months !!
That was one lucky escape.
They needed one more person to make up the jury and they asked the lady next to me - I knew she was a Civil Servant so she was f*cked !!
Later found out from another guy who was on the jury that it was a city fraud case and it lasted for 3 months !!
That was one lucky escape.
NiceCupOfTea said:
Mrs.NCoT is being called up for Jury Service - a few questions!
1. The info says the average length of service is 2 weeks - how likely is this? If it is likely to go over that, will they tell you so that you can defer your service?
2. Is it still the case that you can apply for a deferral as a teacher, and if you do what are the chances of it then coming in the school holidays?
I was called last year and (apart from the inevitable waiting around) found it really interesting. The days are pretty short as well, you normally only sit from 10-4 at the most so I could always get a bit of work done over the course of the day.1. The info says the average length of service is 2 weeks - how likely is this? If it is likely to go over that, will they tell you so that you can defer your service?
2. Is it still the case that you can apply for a deferral as a teacher, and if you do what are the chances of it then coming in the school holidays?
Being a teacher is a valid reason for a deferral during term time, but as with all deferrals you are required to give dates that you can do, and there's no second deferral allowed.
I'd thoroughly recommend it if you can go, as I said it was really interesting and a good break from work. However I'm just a permie wage slave who got the two weeks on full pay with no issue; had it come up when I was a contractor I suspect my view would have been very different
When I did my Jury service, I spent the first day sitting around, then was on a jury for a case that lasted 3 days, then sat around for another day, then got sent home.
I took my laptop in to get some work done while I was waiting, so it wasn't too bad. Mind you, the laptop in question was a Sinclair Z88, which tells you how long ago it was...
I took my laptop in to get some work done while I was waiting, so it wasn't too bad. Mind you, the laptop in question was a Sinclair Z88, which tells you how long ago it was...
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