So a friend (ahem) of mine has been called up for Jury service.
That friend politely told them that they were out of the country for 2 months so would not be able to attend and asked for the service to be deferred to a later date (as is allowed)

They kindly ignored said message and have scheduled Jury service for when said friend is out of the country. They have been informed once again but are not responding. Will said friend go to prison for not turning up?

Anecdotally they seem to be trying to take a harder line on people attending. A couple of people at work have had to do it whereas in previous years a letter from the boss has been enough to get them off. It has been causing chaos.

Will said friend go to prison for not turning up?

Not if they genuinely go out of the country for 2 months.

Otherwise I can see it getting quite complicated rather quickly.

They might not let you back in though. You going anywhere nice?

Probably get on the phone to them, explain what has happened, what is going on and what they have been told. Then ask what they need to do in order to make things right.

I think you your friend would need to do a little more than just phone them and tell them you they are out of the country.

They will want to see documents proving this fact (tickets, intinaries that kind of thing).

Would be too easy to wriggle out of otherwise…

Cheers

Danny B

The UKBA should be able to log your comings and goings.

Anecdotally they seem to be trying to take a harder line on people attending

They are, and (at least in England/Wales) a lot of the exemptions have been removed.

They will want to see documents proving this fact (tickets, intinaries that kind of thing).

and as your friend has already signed a legal statement to the effect they’ll be out the country I can imagine there’ll be frowns if the paperwork isn;t available to back the claim up?

Alterantively your friend could threaten to predecide the verdict as Not Guilty…

I’m looking forward to watching this escalating if the ‘friend’ has been telling porkies 🙂

Alternatively your friend could threaten to predecide the verdict as Not Guilty.

Is that not risking being done for contempt of court, which I suppose is one way of getting out of it forever…

A letter from the boss outlining the vital role played by the ‘friend’ and the loss of business because of the civic duty, blah blah etc.

Should see you right.

Edit; I’ve just seen you’ve lied to the courts. Bit daft that.

All you need to know about Jury Service in the UK

Cheers

Danny B

Said friend has not lied, said friend is genuinely out of the country (currently is and will be). Can’t seem to get a clear direction from them though and said friend doesn’t want to go to prison.

Write a signed for letter so that you have proof it arrived stating the facts. Given that you have a legitimate reason, you’ll then be fine.

If you are out of the country and can prove it there shouldn’t be an issue.

Holidays (according to the link I posted) are a valid reason for not attending but you have to tell them when you will be available in the next 12 months and cannot defer again.

Cheers

Danny B

When I got called up for jury service thankfully I was in a position where it wasn’t too disruptive to attend, though they did defer it for a few months.
I always wondered what the outcome would have been if I’d rang up, said “I can’t wait to take part in banging some immigrant scumbag down to rights”, then persistently nagging them to tell me the “scumbag’s name so I can Google them – you know, for research…”!!

DrP

Grade 2 and an EDL t-shirt should do it.

it’s one of the few times i am glad i suffer with depression (mental i am 😉 so i have a good excuse not to do it,if i’m ever asked 🙂

I’ve never really understood the aversion a lot of people have to doing jury service.

I expect the legal justice system to work for me if I ever need it and a cornerstone of that is the fact that jury members are picked ta random from the population. How can we expect other people to do it if we’re looking for any excuse not to attend (OP and raceface90 excepted) ourselves?

My wife did it 5 or so years ago and was fascinated – she did a masters degree in Criminal Psychology as a result of her experience.

OP – I’d suggest sending them documentation together with alternative dates you can do (signed for) and not worrying.

I expect the legal justice system to work for me if I ever need it and a cornerstone of that is the fact that jury members are picked ta random from the population

This is the scary bit for me. Mrs J did 10 days last year. She was scared by the general level of ignorance and inability to understand some fairly basic facts about the case by a significant proportion of the jury.

I’d like consideration given to professional jurors – or at least a test which demonstrates a basic ability to concentrate for more than 5 minutes.

“Holidays (according to the link I posted) are a valid reason for not attending but you have to tell them when you will be available in the next 12 months and cannot defer again.”

What if work is abroad ? IE you pay your uk taxes but work abroad a large chunk of the year – but are still a resident in the uk ?

Ive done it before … went sat in a room , surfed the net on my phone all day , was told about 2pm i wouldnt be required that day – every day for a week.

What happens is your self employed and fully booked up, no one else can do my job and I could end up losing a lot of earnings? They won’t cover loss earnings will they?

They will pay some expenses

https://www.gov.uk/jury-service/how-to-claim-expenses

https://www.gov.uk/jury-service/what-you-can-claim

After day 201 Over 4 hours £228.06

😯

, but you can also buy Jury Service insurance

no, won’t cover loss of earnings. That’s why you can nominate a slot within 12 months – you can then book work around those dates.

I guess it’s just like another tax in the end – you pay it once or twice in your life and just have to soak it up when it does happen.

My mum just ignored the letters when she was called up years ago and nothing ever came of it. But she’s a stupid bint- I wouldn’t recommend her cause of action.

Cheers,
Jamie

What happens is your self employed and fully booked up, no one else can do my job and I could end up losing a lot of earnings? They won’t cover loss earnings will they?

I know of a dentist practice that folded because the partner was on jury service and didn’t have the appropriate insurance..

DrP

Ive got a letter recently and I am self employed/contractor. If I dont work i dont get paid and the amount you are able to claim for the 1st week is about half of what I would earn. Really pisses me off that I am going to lose money because of this, How is this fair?

Can I actually claim what I will actually lose or is it capped at £60 a day for the 1st week?

jury members are picked ta random from the population

I’m not convinced it is all as random as they make out- LOADS of my wife’s colleagues (Local Council) and a mate’s (Defence Estates) get called up compared to others in the private sector.

Cheers,
Jamie

Edit; I’ve just seen you’ve lied to the courts. Bit daft that.

I like how threads seem to evolve into a pseudo chinese whispers scenario despite all the history being there to see (not having a go at you merak, seen plenty of threads go like that)

Haven’t been called up yet, would quite like to see legal system in action from a none accused’s point of view.

*BTW I haven’t seen it from a accused’s POV either**
**and don’t want to

I was summonsed in February but wrote and got it postponed because I already had two overseas trips booked. Now I’m down for mid August and last week I telephoned to find out what were the chances of getting off, to be told my the snotty bloke at the Courts & Tribunals Service “no chance”.

TBH although it’s a pain in the wotsit I am quite looking frorward to it – if we ever get out of the waiting room and into a court room. I also agree that it is part of every citizen’s duty to do it once in their life.

Really pisses me off that I am going to lose money because of this, How is this fair?

It’s a civic obligation, a bit like a tax. You lose money when you pay taxes.

I’ve never understood why people who aren’t self employed are desperate to get out of doing Jury Service, I’d love to do it but ice never had the letter!
When I think about it, I only know of two people who’ve ever been on Jury Service so my chances of getting the letter look pretty slim!

I’m not convinced it is all as random as they make out- LOADS of my wife’s colleagues (Local Council) and a mate’s (Defence Estates) get called up compared to others in the private sector.
Cheers,
Jamie

Are you suggesting a bias towards government employees. do you not think the defence might find that a bit fishy and have grounds for an appeal? Could it just be confirmational bias, contributed to by the fact you know a lot of people in the public sector?

Write a letter explaining that you have strong right wing/religous beliefs…

Dad has done it twice (works in private sector)
Stepmum has never done it (recently retired from local council job)
I’ve not been asked yet, but Ill not be trying to get out of it.

This is the scary bit for me. Mrs J did 10 days last year. She was scared by the general level of ignorance and inability to understand some fairly basic facts about the case by a significant proportion of the jury.

Those people are even allowed to vote.

Those people are even allowed to vote.

Quite!

Did it a few years back at Cupar, waiting area was in the public benches,
sat and watched the Sherif refuse bail to a few people, saw the accused for the case we were in for, didn’t get picked, went up to the ice cream shop and then went home. Not bad for a day’s work.

Would be a bit of a bastard if you got a long case at a High or Crown court though.