Called for Jury service
Discussion
I've had a letter telling me that i need to attend court for jury service early in the new year.
Looking at the "allowances" it's going to cost me a load to do it in loss of earnings, especially as it is an hour and a half each way drive to attend every day. If its a full day in court i have to leave home at 7am and won't be home until 7pm, for £65
Any tips/advice/experiences to share? No idea what is involved, but I'll take a rough guess that it will be a lot of sitting around doing nothing much a lot of the time.
Looking at the "allowances" it's going to cost me a load to do it in loss of earnings, especially as it is an hour and a half each way drive to attend every day. If its a full day in court i have to leave home at 7am and won't be home until 7pm, for £65
Any tips/advice/experiences to share? No idea what is involved, but I'll take a rough guess that it will be a lot of sitting around doing nothing much a lot of the time.
Im due to do jury service end of Nov.
Sitting around does seem to be the main thing you do from what others have said. But you can bring laptops, phones etc into the jury common room to use while you wait, so you may be able to get some work done that way depending on your job.
There are only certain excuses you can use to get out of it so you probably are just going to have to suck it up sadly. You can delay it once for good reason though. You do get some travel expenses too and food allowance for lunch but its not much.
Sitting around does seem to be the main thing you do from what others have said. But you can bring laptops, phones etc into the jury common room to use while you wait, so you may be able to get some work done that way depending on your job.
There are only certain excuses you can use to get out of it so you probably are just going to have to suck it up sadly. You can delay it once for good reason though. You do get some travel expenses too and food allowance for lunch but its not much.
Can your employer write a letter stating how much of a detrimental impact your jury service will have on their business?
Years back a girl my sister was at uni with was summoned for service around september time with the potential of serving on a very long fraud case, she was allowed to defer due to the impact it might have had on her final year.
A much less than serious answer is to turn up dressed in full Nazi uniform
Years back a girl my sister was at uni with was summoned for service around september time with the potential of serving on a very long fraud case, she was allowed to defer due to the impact it might have had on her final year.
A much less than serious answer is to turn up dressed in full Nazi uniform
I did it about 15 years ago, referred it once, and then was called a few months later again, had a new job and was refused referral and had to tell new employer I was called on first day!!
You might sit around for a short time initially but then you will get pooled into court to be chosen, I was told by the court usher about the judge on the way down, some were fine, some needed a very good excuse to be excused from a case for length, it was made clear to use which was which.
You might sit around for a short time initially but then you will get pooled into court to be chosen, I was told by the court usher about the judge on the way down, some were fine, some needed a very good excuse to be excused from a case for length, it was made clear to use which was which.
Tango13 said:
Can your employer write a letter stating how much of a detrimental impact your jury service will have on their business?
That's what I did - Replied to them saying I couldn't do it due to work and they declined. Got my employer to write a letter saying we were in the middle of some massive projects/migrations and it would be a problem and was excused.Not even going to bother replying to the letter next time.
I know alot of people will be saying you should just do it, and wouldn't want the jury to be made up of just pensioners and the unemployed - But the compensation doesn't add up for a lot of people.
Jury service was hugely enjoyable for me, case lasted only a week and I had the other week 'on retainer' where I was on call for another case if needed, and was paid for the privilege. I was lucky as my employer still paid me for the time off though.
My wife got a case at the Old Bailey that lasted for six weeks, she absolutely loved it but again her circumstances meant she wasn't out of pocket as the expenses covered her measly part-time wage anyway.
In summary, it can be a very enjoyable thing to do, if you can make the finances work. And sometimes you don't get a choice.
My wife got a case at the Old Bailey that lasted for six weeks, she absolutely loved it but again her circumstances meant she wasn't out of pocket as the expenses covered her measly part-time wage anyway.
In summary, it can be a very enjoyable thing to do, if you can make the finances work. And sometimes you don't get a choice.
It entails a lot of sitting around, getting sent home with no case for a few days, and then talking with idiots who want to just dive in and find an immediate response, without any discussion. That is according to my wife who, sworn to secrecy, still hasn’t told me what the case was about. I guessed drugs, as most seem to be about that.
some bloke said:
I heard that a friend of a friend didn't even acknowledge the letter because it wasn't 'signed for', so he didn't have to take time off his plumbing business.
You wouldn't catch me doing that though.
I know a couple of people also that just ignored the letter completely, as if it had never arrived, neither of them heard anything again and that was at least 3 years ago.You wouldn't catch me doing that though.
boyse7en said:
No, I'm not self employed.
I'm surprised that they have picked me as I am so far from the Court. Travel expenses aren't exactly generous.
Is it your nearest court? If you live in the sticks thats a bit unlucky but if its not the nearest one then you should be able to go back to them on that. I'm surprised that they have picked me as I am so far from the Court. Travel expenses aren't exactly generous.
31.4p per mile should cover most peoples fuel, insurance etc unless you drive a gas guzzler or something in a silly insurance band AND you are high risk.
Psycho Warren said:
Is it your nearest court? If you live in the sticks thats a bit unlucky but if its not the nearest one then you should be able to go back to them on that.
31.4p per mile should cover most peoples fuel, insurance etc unless you drive a gas guzzler or something in a silly insurance band AND you are high risk.
My nearest local court was closed when the lockdown started, and although it is technically still a court it isn't properly open again yet. This would be the next nearest court. 31.4p per mile should cover most peoples fuel, insurance etc unless you drive a gas guzzler or something in a silly insurance band AND you are high risk.
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