Called for Jury Service -advice needed

Janepig

sugarsuze wrote: »

I have a hypothetical question that I wonder if anyone can answer. A mate of mine has just been called up for jury service, hes a self employed guy and a single dad. He would lose a lot of money and be stuck for childcare if does the jury service. He said he has written off to them to tell them he is very racist and very sexist, and believes everyone who ends up in court should automatically be found guilty regardless of eveidence so he believes he is not a good candidate for jury service!! (hes not at all racist/sexist in reality, he just wants to try everything to get out of doing it). What do you think they will say to him? What if in reality someone WAS racist/sexist? Wouldthe jury service have to let them off?

They'd probably realise he's just trying to get out of it. And the lack of childcare is a non-starter as they'll pay for childcare.

Jxx

Pee

The trouble is that if all of us nice decent people do not want to do jury service, who will we be left with doing it?

I can see that your son's first day at school is a big issue though - although I am not sure they will as it's emotional rather than practical, isn't it?

milliebear00001

I am astonished by all this! I know nothing about Jury Service, having never been called, but surely they can't do things like force you to put your children into daycare when you/they don't want to!? It also seems grossly unfair that people might be seriously out of pocket. What sort of xpenses/daily rate can you get? What happens if it's a long case and people can't pay their bills or mortgage!?

RLH33

I have been called for Jury Service which was due to start on 1 September, my son's first day at school. The options you are given are to defer it, but it has to be done within 12 months, or be excused.

My argument to them was that as my son was only going to school for 2/3 hours a day for the first five weeks, and I had no childminder/nursery to look after him or pick him up/drop him off at school, I couldn't do it until 5 October.

I then explained that by the 5 October I would be 28 wks pregnant and it would be unfair to make me sit in a courtroom without free access to a toilet (!). Then of course the baby would be born and again it would be unfair for me to leave it before September, the end of the 12 month deferral period, and again I don't have a childminder/nursery to look after it. I therefore politely asked that I be excused at this time.

I received a letter this week saying I had been excused so they obviously do take into account a lack of childcare as otherwise they would have made me do it on the 1 September anyway.

Susan_Frost

I thought you got your workplace to complete a form confirming expected earnings and they paid that BUT ONLY UP TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT PER DAY.

Dont know the current rates, but if you earn £500 per week and the rate is £300, then you get £300.

Dont know about self employed, maybe take it on last years earnings and average it out per week.

Doubt it is unpaid, but a long time since my work included completing these forms for people.

Janepig

milliebear00001 wrote: »

I am astonished by all this! I know nothing about Jury Service, having never been called, but surely they can't do things like force you to put your children into daycare when you/they don't want to!? It also seems grossly unfair that people might be seriously out of pocket. What sort of xpenses/daily rate can you get? What happens if it's a long case and people can't pay their bills or mortgage!?

Slightly different scenario, but if you commit a crime and are given unpaid work you can't use child care problems to get out of it and the Probation Service pay for a registered nursery place for the child.

Jxx

feelinggood_2

Another question, what about breastfeeding mothers?

Janepig

feelinggood wrote: »

Another question, what about breastfeeding mothers?

I would have thought that any mother who would conceivably still be under a maternity leave period from work (even if they don't work iykwim) should be exempt. I'm not sure what the stats are for mothers breasfeeding over one year, but even if they then defer for a year because of the breastfeeding then they surely wouldn't still be breastfeeding after that - or not many would anyway.

Jxx

gghh

Janepig wrote: »

They'd probably realise he's just trying to get out of it. And the lack of childcare is a non-starter as they'll pay for childcare.

Jxx

so you're expected to leave your children with a stranger/strangers just because they are paying for it??!!!! that's really unfair on the children as well as the parent who has been called up!!!

it's interesting to hear everyone's views on being called for jury service, i always thought it would be very exciting but having been on the other side (i was a victim of a crime where there was very little hard evidence, my word against theirs) i can see how hard some cases can be on a jury, not only the agonising decision of guilty or not guilty (which won't always be clear cut) but also the emotional strain of hearing/seeing people visibly distressed, having to re-live the worst time of their lives etc. making that decision is a huge responsibilty and not something i would ever want to have to do

BitterAndTwisted

kindofagilr wrote: »

Sorry I have no advice, but I just wanted to say I would love to be called for Jury Service

Be careful! You might get just what you wish for.

A pal of mine got called up for Jury service and ended up at the Old Bailey for three months, on a very high-profile murder case where there was intimidation of the witnesses and members of the jury. National press and everything. He said it was the most harrowing three months of his life and he still gets nightmares about it.

One strategy to get out of it if you REALLY have to is to answer any questions put to you by the barristers on selection completely inappropriately. Who wants a BNP member on a racially sensitive case or an out-and-out sexist loon on a rape trial?

I've lived at my present address for nearly 30 years and never been called and I've often wondered why. Knowing my luck, I'll be called soon, while I'm temping and really can't afford a drop in my very meagre income. AND it'll probably be something really boring.