View Full Version : Jury duty
DarrenSV650S
01-09-09, 06:33 PM
My name has been selected for inclusion in the lists of potential jurors and I may be called upon to serve on a jury....
PHEW!!! Thank christ! I thought it was a speeding thing when I saw the Sheriff Court stuff
Does anyone know if I'll get paid if I get selected?
CarlosSV650S
01-09-09, 06:43 PM
Think you just get your travel expenses m8.
Try this,
http://www.courtroomadvice.co.uk/attending-jury-service.html
Mr Speirs
01-09-09, 07:21 PM
You get travel expenses and your normal wages paid from your work.
DarrenSV650S
01-09-09, 07:25 PM
good good :)
Milky Bar Kid
01-09-09, 08:09 PM
You will more than likely get fed too!
DarrenSV650S
01-09-09, 08:14 PM
You will more than likely get fed too!
Sweeeeeeeeeeet
slark01
01-09-09, 08:19 PM
You get food expenses if your there all day. Your compensated for any loss of earnings ( if employed, then the employer pays as normal ) and yes travel expenses as well. Been on jury duty for 2 cases, one for sexual harrassment, the other for child sexual abuse. Was not a pleasant experience.
Ste.
DarrenSV650S
01-09-09, 08:20 PM
How long were you doing it for? And what hours?
The Basket
01-09-09, 08:26 PM
Depends on your court...
But you get fed for free...but you have to eat what they provide.
And expenses...depends if your employer will pay...else the court will compensate you.
Parking and travel should be picked up too...within reason.
Hours are 10am to 4pm normally and how long? Piece of string...could be dismissed first millisecond or could be there for weeks.
slark01
01-09-09, 08:26 PM
Had to get to the court for 9 and finished when they said we could go. It usually lasts from a week to a fortnight. Depends on what cases they have and how many.
Ste.
The Basket
01-09-09, 08:29 PM
I am assuming that this is Scottish Court Service as his address is Carnoustie...
So what I said is for SCS.
DarrenSV650S
01-09-09, 08:30 PM
Yeh it's Arbroath court
mike_avfc
01-09-09, 08:43 PM
omg - i've just read the link posted at the beginning of this article. i can understand how they can calculate loss of earning in most jobs. I work in a extremely busy sales role involving mega long hours most of the time but comes with the rewards, taking a week or two off could potentially (not all the time) cost me loads on top of my normal wages, how would they take that into account ???
there is a great phrase on there though that says " if your employer told you that your jury duty could have a damaging affect on your job, and you failed to request a deferment of your jury duty until a more convenient time; again you may not be able to claim for unfair dismissal" - so at least could apply for deferment.
Also, how does it work for people with real low attention spans, i know that sounds lame, but i couldn't sit for more than about 90 minutes without fidgeting or falling asleep, i just can't help it. wonder how that would work.
sorry to hijack the thread but i'd never thought of jury duty before, it would be hell !
jimmy4237
01-09-09, 09:01 PM
Your name goes onto a "potential jurors" list. When a case comes up, you are called up for an interview to see if you are juror material. You have to attend these..... don't skip these... I've been called up for it, these things have no set timescale....
Just say the right things, and you get scored off the list...... "Unsuitable for duty" and are sent home.....
If you appear to be biased towards the accused person, you get sent home.....
As an aside and a bit of a rant but not directed at the people in this thread.
I dont understand why people try to wriggle out of jury duty.
People are only too happy to complain when they dont like what they read in the news of judgements not being fair, however, when it comes to doing something that they can do ... they just dont want to do it!
I sat on two trials during my service. One for GBH, one for robbery with menaces. After we'd heard all the evidence for the 2nd case we retired to discuss our verdict. I popped to the loo and came back to find I'd been voted as Foreman in my absence. The fact that the defendant was a huge, scary-looking MF may have had something to do with that. Nobody else fancied standing up to deliver the verdict! :D
Found guilty and sent down in both cases.
The Guru
02-09-09, 07:15 AM
http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/courtusers/jurors/docs/jurorsallowances.pdf
http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/courtusers/jurors/index.asp
The power of the internet :smt003
blue curvy jester
02-09-09, 09:47 AM
if all normal people 'like wot we are!!!!!!!!!!!!' try and get out of jury service then you end up with the people who want to do it siting there ( obvious i know) so then you end up with juries made up of bored housewives and dailymail reading retired people who think that loud cans speed and fun are all puishable by death ( or worse)
I imagine that it's all a bit Jeremy Kyle!
Biker Biggles
02-09-09, 01:26 PM
When I did it (in England)you only got very limited travel/food expenses and a heavily capped allowance for loss of earnings.This made most people much out of pocket if their employer didnt make up the difference.And employers certainly werent required to pay staff who were absent doing jury service.That was afew years ago and perhaps they are more generous now,but used to be why so many people avoided doing it-----it cost them money.
ArtyLady
02-09-09, 02:30 PM
I've been called three times in 50 years :rolleyes:
I've been called three times in 50 years :rolleyes:
You're 68????
ArtyLady
02-09-09, 04:27 PM
You're 68????
No - I'm 50 :smt080
PHEW!!! Thank christ! I thought it was a speeding thing when I saw the Sheriff Court stuff
Tell me about it, I was wondering where the f*** have I got caught.
Letter arrived today, did you ever hear from them again?
DarrenSV650S
02-04-10, 09:09 PM
No never heard a thing. I'd totally forgotten about it. Strange
keith_d
02-04-10, 09:22 PM
One wheeze a mate of mine pulled was to turn up fairly smartly dressed every day.
The reasoning being that in the big cases the lawyers get to object to jurors. Someone looking distinctly middle class will almost always get kicked off by the defense, the assumption being that he'll be biased against scrotes.
So far as I remember, he had four weeks sitting around drinking tea and going home at 2pm on full pay. He never once made it past jury selection.
I don't know if it's still like that.
Keith.
DarrenSV650S
02-04-10, 09:33 PM
wheeze
:-s
Milky Bar Kid
03-04-10, 12:47 AM
Hmm, I suppose jury duty might be interesting if you get a good case, could also be incredibly boring or quite distressing at the same time. Certainly glad I will never have to do it.
just see it as you're getting free petrol to ride your bike!
when i did it it was hilarious. the trial featured (as a witness) the man who holds the guinness world record for laying kerb stones.
I did it when I was 18. It can be interesting, but if you dont get picked for a case you can end up sitting in the waiting room watching jeremy kyle for 2 weeks!
I'd like to do it again, its pretty easy stuff. Parking is paid for up to £8 i think (which didnt even come close to covering it) you get £5 a day food (on a token card thing) and full wages are paid.
Sid Squid
03-04-10, 12:42 PM
As an aside and a bit of a rant but not directed at the people in this thread.
I dont understand why people try to wriggle out of jury duty.
People are only too happy to complain when they dont like what they read in the news of judgements not being fair, however, when it comes to doing something that they can do ... they just dont want to do it!
Agree completely.
Plus:
I did jury service some years ago - it was hilarious! I spent two weeks laughing my bum off at the ludicrous, pathetic excuses of the obviously guilty.
What a giggle - I'd do it again in a shot.
Biker Biggles
03-04-10, 05:33 PM
Id certainly do it again if asked.Did a couple of interesting cases last time,and it beats going to work any time.
jans1971
03-04-10, 06:44 PM
my mrs got one today in the post , can she get out of it if she has got young kids
timwilky
03-04-10, 08:18 PM
Try running a small business, you not working means no income to pay those in the back office. Jury service should be optional. Restricted to those who can afford to be away from work
Biker Biggles
03-04-10, 08:24 PM
Civic duty shouldnt be optional.But those who are affected by it should be properly compensated.If we allow certain classes of people to opt out then juries will not be representative of the general population and their whole point will be lost.
timwilky
03-04-10, 08:31 PM
When I was last in court, one of the witnesses had to be subpoenaed to appear. Him being in court all day meant his staff could not work. Of course the court said they would pay his expenses and were sympathetic to his plight. But guess what
Case overran and he had to appear next day. Happy not.
There is a big problem that the courts do not recognise that certain individuals expenses are far greater than the permitted tariffs allow.
In one case I was involved in. It was settled out of court and there was an appearance simply to agree costs. One Barrister objected on the grounds that my expenses were greater than his costs. When asked to justify my costs I said perhaps the gentleman is in the wrong profession. In truth I had worked on the case over several weeks, issued a number of reports and my costs were considerably more than his costs to get to court and read his brief.
DarrenSV650S
09-07-10, 09:11 PM
Right, someone is taking the p*** at the jury duty place. Phoned work on tuesday to book my holidays for the start of august, then wednesday morning I get a letter saying I've got jury duty on the 4th :smt011
If I say I've booked a holiday is that enough to get out of this? Truth is I was planning on touring about on the bike. And this could take up my whole holiday. Bloody typical
fizzwheel
09-07-10, 09:23 PM
I am not sure, I got the call up recently, but I asked to be defered as my colleague is on holiday on the dates they wanted me and if I had to go to do my jury service it would leave no cover in the office and my request to defer was approved.
I think theres a website somewhere that will explain a little on how to defer it, but you can only defer it once.
If you havent booked anything I'd be inclined to go and do the jury service. My new set of dates are next March so I have time to plan around it now though.
Seems a bit rubbish that they only give you a few weeks notice though.
I would be happy to do it. They are all guitly, hang them all...hang on, that isnt right is it? :lol:
I got called years ago and had already booked a holiday. I called up and they just bumped me down the list. I got called again some time later and had booked a holiday again - seriously! Called up again and they were fine about it. Never got called again though.
Shame. I would have been interested to see the process.
DarrenSV650S
09-07-10, 09:41 PM
A booked holiday seems to be a possible excuse according to some websites, so I guess I'll try that.
Also, seems that most people don't hear any more about it if they just don't turn up.
I would have gone if it was any other time, it would be a good skive off work and probably quite interesting, but there's no way I'm doing it right in the middle of my holiday.
The expenses are quite decent. £65 a day for the first ten days, then £130 each day after the first ten.
timwilky
09-07-10, 09:43 PM
As an aside and a bit of a rant but not directed at the people in this thread.
I dont understand why people try to wriggle out of jury duty.
People are only too happy to complain when they dont like what they read in the news of judgements not being fair, however, when it comes to doing something that they can do ... they just dont want to do it!
Anna if you are self employed it is not wriggling out, you simply cannot afford to do it. You not earning may impact on your ability to pay back office staff etc.
It is not just jury service, but also being a witness. When I was one, there was a guy in the witness room going ballistic, he had to be subpoenaed to appear and they had kept him waiting all day for other cases first. Turns out he had 4 guys sat in a van on the car park waiting for him. He was the only one in the gang with the certification for the job they were doing. He doesn't work, non of them do. they sent him home at the end of the day, never been in court under instruction to be back tomorrow.
Yes, they pay expenses, but not the true cost of you being there.
beabert
09-07-10, 11:18 PM
My friend just been called up, from reading his forms; they will pay up to a maximum of only £65 per pay for the first 10 days, £120 from day 11 to 20, then £200+ every day after.
maviczap
10-07-10, 07:20 AM
My mate's wife is in the middle of a 10 week murder trial, has messed up their plans a bit, although she's happy as no shifts to do or weekend working.
She would have wriggled out next year because of a booked holiday
Davadvice
10-07-10, 12:17 PM
been called twice when i was 18 and ignored the letters and never heard anything.
TBH i would do it now but i'm not on the electral role so i think the use this for picking jurors.
Right, someone is taking the p*** at the jury duty place. Phoned work on tuesday to book my holidays for the start of august, then wednesday morning I get a letter saying I've got jury duty on the 4th
Can you guess what the mail man brought today? :lol:
DarrenSV650S
19-07-10, 05:41 PM
Can you guess what the mail man brought today? :lol:
On the same date??
I sent it back to them saying I've booked a holiday for those dates. Have to wait and see what they say
Anna if you are self employed it is not wriggling out, you simply cannot afford to do it. You not earning may impact on your ability to pay back office staff etc.
It is not just jury service, but also being a witness. When I was one, there was a guy in the witness room going ballistic, he had to be subpoenaed to appear and they had kept him waiting all day for other cases first. Turns out he had 4 guys sat in a van on the car park waiting for him. He was the only one in the gang with the certification for the job they were doing. He doesn't work, non of them do. they sent him home at the end of the day, never been in court under instruction to be back tomorrow.
Yes, they pay expenses, but not the true cost of you being there.
Fair point Tim.
There is a section IIRC on the jury forms that if you can prove that you are invaluable to your company, as in the above example, you can apply to be exempt.
My reference to people wriggling out of Jury duty, wasn“t aimed at those who have legitimate reasons for not being able to attend.
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