We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Summoned as a juror at wrong address..

Options
2»

Comments

  • But don't you need a good reason to defer? Personally we are going to be moving house at the beginning of February and it's my birthday in January so are going away for a couple of days which coincides with 2 of the dates they've given for me to do jury service and the moving house also coincides with 1 of the dates in February.

    We haven't booked anywhere to go away yet but it is planned!

    So would that be reason enough to defer i.e moving house? If not I'll have to do it.
  • I was called for Jury service when mine were pre school. I told them there was no one available to look after them and so didn't have to do it. This was 24 years ago and I haven't been recalled.
  • The contact details should be on the letter that they sent.

    You may get out of it due to moving house but your birthday break probably won't be a good enough reason.
  • Seanymph
    Seanymph Posts: 2,882 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Everyone who is called has a life don't they? Surely? I get that it's inconvenient to fine a babysitter but no one sits at home all day for 24 years waiting for the summons so they are available.

    Everyone who gets asked to perform the service has to arrange things, move things, get cover, miss work, arrange babysitters.

    I have never been called but obviously know lots of people who have. Sometimes nothing happens and on the first day you are told you don't need to return any more - and some people I know were involved in really very famous trials.

    But they all did it because as a society the people who give up their time and sit in these positions are vital, it's an integral part of our justice system, and it's important for anyone who is accused of anything that they have the right to a body of their peers to sit in judgement.

    Personally I can't see the drama.

    You were summoned at that address because they don't use council tax registers, they use the electoral role - this isn't updated alongside the council tax register (believe it or not) but is held by the electoral officer who serves a completely different purpose and doesn't update it nearly as often. So you are probably registered at your old address.

    If you hadn't received it then I doubt you'd have been imprisoned for not turning up :) But like most of us you have a system to get your post forwarded - if it hadn't been then the person in your house would have sent it back with 'moved away' on the envelope and they would have crossed you off the list and sent out another one.

    Having received it I dont' think 'I was planning on going away for a few days' and 'but my parents would have to look after my children' holds water - they may excuse you at the court for it - but if you get excused someone else will have a disrupted life to sit and they may have even more commitments or life crises going on.

    If you know about it, and you physically can, I think you are socially obligated to go and to do the best job you can.
  • Marisco
    Marisco Posts: 42,036 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Moominfish wrote: »
    Ok thanks for the info Mikazaru.

    I still live in the same town just 8 miles away from where I used to live so I'd assume it would still be the same court?? I'll E-Mail them and see if they respond. Failing that I'll ring them instead.

    What does jury service entail anyway?

    The reason I ask is I'm currently unemployed and on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I look after my 2 children when my partners at work. But I don't suppose the courts would care about that. They'll probably just tell me to find someone to look after them even if there is no one.

    Why not just go to the house and get the letter? There might be more detail in it!
  • RacyRed
    RacyRed Posts: 4,930 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Moominfish, get the letter, you need the details from it.

    No, they wont have already picked the jury, you will be part of a jury pool they select from. Being given dates to attend is normal.

    Tell them you have moved and are moving again in Feb. They may defer your jury service, but you only get to do this once as far as I remember (I served last year). The sooner you do that the better.

    You won't lose out financially as long as you can produce the paper work and receipts for loss of income or benefits. You can clain travel expenses. Ask them about childcare, I think that if you have to pay for childcare there is help with this. The courts don't expect jurors to be out of pocket, within reason.

    Get that letter as you need your juror number and check the website.

    And don't panic, it isn't that bad.
    My first reply was witty and intellectual but I lost it so you got this one instead :D
    Proud to be a chic shopper
    :cool:
  • gregg1
    gregg1 Posts: 3,148 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    RacyRed wrote: »
    Moominfish, get the letter, you need the details from it.

    No, they wont have already picked the jury, you will be part of a jury pool they select from. Being given dates to attend is normal.

    Tell them you have moved and are moving again in Feb. They may defer your jury service, but you only get to do this once as far as I remember (I served last year). The sooner you do that the better.

    You won't lose out financially as long as you can produce the paper work and receipts for loss of income or benefits. You can clain travel expenses. Ask them about childcare, I think that if you have to pay for childcare there is help with this. The courts don't expect jurors to be out of pocket, within reason.

    Get that letter as you need your juror number and check the website.

    And don't panic, it isn't that bad.

    My son lost out financially when he did it.
  • elvis86
    elvis86 Posts: 1,399 Forumite
    Seanymph wrote: »
    Everyone who is called has a life don't they? Surely? I get that it's inconvenient to fine a babysitter but no one sits at home all day for 24 years waiting for the summons so they are available.

    Everyone who gets asked to perform the service has to arrange things, move things, get cover, miss work, arrange babysitters.

    I have never been called but obviously know lots of people who have. Sometimes nothing happens and on the first day you are told you don't need to return any more - and some people I know were involved in really very famous trials.

    But they all did it because as a society the people who give up their time and sit in these positions are vital, it's an integral part of our justice system, and it's important for anyone who is accused of anything that they have the right to a body of their peers to sit in judgement.

    Personally I can't see the drama.

    You were summoned at that address because they don't use council tax registers, they use the electoral role - this isn't updated alongside the council tax register (believe it or not) but is held by the electoral officer who serves a completely different purpose and doesn't update it nearly as often. So you are probably registered at your old address.

    If you hadn't received it then I doubt you'd have been imprisoned for not turning up :) But like most of us you have a system to get your post forwarded - if it hadn't been then the person in your house would have sent it back with 'moved away' on the envelope and they would have crossed you off the list and sent out another one.

    Having received it I dont' think 'I was planning on going away for a few days' and 'but my parents would have to look after my children' holds water - they may excuse you at the court for it - but if you get excused someone else will have a disrupted life to sit and they may have even more commitments or life crises going on.

    If you know about it, and you physically can, I think you are socially obligated to go and to do the best job you can.

    Absolutely agree. And as the OP isn't working currently and his/her partner only works 3 days, I think he/she has even more reason to make this contribution to the society that is presumably supporting his/her family financially at present.;)
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.8K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.5K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.8K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.6K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.8K Life & Family
  • 257.1K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.