jury service

bikeman

I have been called for jury serice in August. At first I thought what fun but now I've realised that its not going to work out. First Im self employed and the day allowance is so low as to cause me hardship. Secondly I'd have to pay childcare for 2 kids, that already exceeds the daily allowance but the main problem is I am a single parent with no family nearby so I would have to arrange/pay someone to look after them. In my experience day care centres get booked up a long time ahead and I have no idea how long the jury service will last.

So I need to get out of it. Will I be interviewed by the legal reps? Can I do like the movies and pretend to be a racist/bigot?

LadyMissA

bikeman wrote: »

I have been called for jury serice in August. At first I thought what fun but now I've realised that its not going to work out. First Im self employed and the day allowance is so low as to cause me hardship. Secondly I'd have to pay childcare for 2 kids, that already exceeds the daily allowance but the main problem is I am a single parent with no family nearby so I would have to arrange/pay someone to look after them. In my experience day care centres get booked up a long time ahead and I have no idea how long the jury service will last.

So I need to get out of it. Will I be interviewed by the legal reps? Can I do like the movies and pretend to be a racist/bigot?

you fill in the form they have sent you and you detail why you want to be excused. If they agree you get a letter back telling you how long you are excused for.

MX5huggy

We don't select jury's in this country beyond random selection from the electrol roll. You arn't interview by lawyers to see if you are a racist etc.

Jury service is 2 weeks if a trial is expected to go over this you can opt out.

In the 2 weeks you are likely to do more than one trial. I did 3, one took 40 mins, 1 2days before being abandoned and one 2 days.

wantsajob

Say you're mentally unstable, and have previously been sectioned. Should be a winner.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jun/14/mental-health-bars-mp-removed?newsfeed=true

Torry_Quine

MX5huggy wrote: »

We don't select jury's in this country beyond random selection from the electrol roll. You arn't interview by lawyers to see if you are a racist etc.

Jury service is 2 weeks if a trial is expected to go over this you can opt out.

In the 2 weeks you are likely to do more than one trial. I did 3, one took 40 mins, 1 2days before being abandoned and one 2 days.

Not in the experience of people I know including myself who have done jury duty. I was used for a case lasting three days and then sent home. Someone else wasn't needed first day so told to come back next day, not needed again so didn't need to come back again.

Also here certainly you call up the evening before and you are told if you need to come and you may not need to come at all.

OP the daily allowance is not low so you must be earning well. Don't you see this as your civic duty?

LadyMissA

MX5huggy wrote: »

We don't select jury's in this country beyond random selection from the electrol roll. You arn't interview by lawyers to see if you are a racist etc.

Jury service is 2 weeks if a trial is expected to go over this you can opt out.

In the 2 weeks you are likely to do more than one trial. I did 3, one took 40 mins, 1 2days before being abandoned and one 2 days.

You can't opt out unless the judge says the trial may be a number of weeks and if you want to be excused when your name is called do not take the seat but stand by it in the jury box and say why you can't do it.

Like I say you can fill in the form before and explain the situation and you may get let off.

LadyMissA

Torry_Quine wrote: »

Not in the experience of people I know including myself who have done jury duty. I was used for a case lasting three days and then sent home. Someone else wasn't needed first day so told to come back next day, not needed again so didn't need to come back again.

Also here certainly you call up the evening before and you are told if you need to come and you may not need to come at all.

OP the daily allowance is not low so you must be earning well. Don't you see this as your civic duty?

Length of time each day on jury service Maximum allowance the court may payUp to and including four hours – first ten days£32.47 per dayUp to and including four hours – between day 11 and up to day 200£64.95 per dayUp to and including four hours – after day 201£114.03 per dayOver four hours – first ten days£64.95 per dayOver four hours – between day ten and up to day 200£129.91 per dayOver four hours – after day 201£228.06 per day



It's about £33k gross for over 4 hours if you serve between 10-200 days.

rs65

bikeman wrote: »

So I need to get out of it.

I did it a couple of years ago. The clerk of the court was explaining the case which gave people the opportunity to be excused as they knew the accused, lived next door, knew the policeman involved etc..

He also asked if anyone was self employed because he 'knew how hard it was in these economic times' and a couple of people were excused.

Hopefully your court would take a similar view. Best to do it at the form stage rather than waiting for the jury service start day I guess.

Reggie_Rebel

Write to the saying that this a free country, various relatives fought in various wars stretching back to Agincourt to preserve that freedom and as such you will decide when you will do jury service and inform them at the appropriate time.

They won't bother you again

kj*daisy

You can defer if it will cause you child care problems in the school holidays, but if you were going to be working anyway what would the kids have done then? But you will be expected to do it at some stage in the future.

DKLS

Last two occasions I have been called, I got one of my clients and my MD at the time to write stating why I couldnt attend due to being critical to the project.
I wont ever be attending until they can cover all my expenses and compensate my full day rate.