Jury Duty

[gryphon]

I have recently received a letter for jury duty. I am a contracting electrician working offshore, 2 weeks away 2 at home. Dose anybody have any idea of getting off jury duty.
If i miss my 2 week trip offshore in theory i could be of for 6 weeks without pay.

 

[E Storey]

They won't let you off jury service for financial reasons, but they will let you off if you are "out of the country"

 

[14A]

Just ring them up and explain the circumstances - There quite reasonable

 

[papverpoppies]

When they write to you, they include a form to fill in if you are unavailable.

With, me they let me postpone for several months, I am sure if you explain your circumstances they will understand, and might put you on 'hold' so to speak.

My reason was not financial or work , it was due to cirucmstances just making it difficult at that time.

Contact them, that is all you can do.

POppy xx

 

[fisicx]

If i miss my 2 week trip offshore in theory i could be of for 6 weeks without pay.

No you won't. You can claim for finacial loss: http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabout/jury_service/expenses.htm

 

[E Storey]

No you won't. You can claim for finacial loss: http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/infoabout/jury_service/expenses.htm

Yeah £64 per day IF your called. So missing out on 6 weeks work for turning up in the morning and not even being chosen doesn't sound too good!

 

[fisicx]

There are all sorts of levels of claim you can make, the important thing to do is fill in the forms ASAP to ensure all your expenses and losses are covered.

If you tell them you won't be in the country then this will be taken into consideration (they are pretty reasonable about things but you do need get those forms completed).

 

[harryboon]

Ask them to call me, I am free and always wanted to be asked plus I won't charge

 

[harryboon]

Only £64 a day

 

[TotallySport]

You can defer it or try and cancel it for now, simply fill in the form and state your reasons saying that you cannot do it at this time and the reasons and see what they say.

 

[papverpoppies]

Ask them to call me, I am free and always wanted to be asked plus I won't charge

Unless a real meaty case.........it is so boring.

I sat around for 2 weeks, and actually sat on the jury for about 9 hours in total.

Also, there was no drinks machines (in that I mean tea and coffee) so we only had food and drinks at lunch time, when they brought what you had ordered in.

For saying, people give a lot of their time up, they do not really go out of their way to make it comfortable.

I was reduced to doing crappy jigsaws.

Have to say, I did find the way that the Courts operate, or not should I say, for a lot of the time, interesting.

Pops xx

 

[Rookery]

I got called up 2 years ago and enjoyed the experience. I hope they ask me again.

 

[Rasta Pickles]

I have recently received a letter for jury duty. I am a contracting electrician working offshore, 2 weeks away 2 at home. Dose anybody have any idea of getting off jury duty.
If i miss my 2 week trip offshore in theory i could be of for 6 weeks without pay.

This is very politically incorrect but I am assured (by someone who's done it) that if you send your paperwork back to the Court with a prominent comment along the lines of "great, I hope the defendant is black/white/gay/insert prejudice here because I hate them all and they're all as guilty as sin anyway, I don't know why we just don't hang them all" that you will receive a letter back telling you your services aren't required.

 

[debbidoo]

This is very politically incorrect but I am assured (by someone who's done it) that if you send your paperwork back to the Court with a prominent comment along the lines of "great, I hope the defendant is black/white/gay/insert prejudice here because I hate them all and they're all as guilty as sin anyway, I don't know why we just don't hang them all" that you will receive a letter back telling you your services aren't required.

Lol, that's one way of getting out of it

Just before I moved from London to North Wales, I got called up. I sent them back a list of reasons why I couldn't do it, including "I visited an uncle in prison as a child and I don't feel I could be relied upon to put anyone else in prison", "I have very bad panic attacks," "I'm a temp, if I don't go to work I don't get paid" and of course "I'll be living 250 miles away on the date you've specified". Thankfully they let me off - guess the moving away reason would've been the one they went with in the end

I'd hate to do jury service, I feel sick at the thought of it. Hope I don't get called up for it again *shudder*.

 

[papverpoppies]

This is very politically incorrect but I am assured (by someone who's done it) that if you send your paperwork back to the Court with a prominent comment along the lines of "great, I hope the defendant is black/white/gay/insert prejudice here because I hate them all and they're all as guilty as sin anyway, I don't know why we just don't hang them all" that you will receive a letter back telling you your services aren't required.

In todays PC society I would have though anyone doing that, would be in need of a jury themselves.

Pops xx

 

[Rasta Pickles]

In todays PC society I would have though anyone doing that, would be in need of a jury themselves.

Pops xx

You might be right..........but imagine the outcry if someone got sent down and it later emerged that one of the jurors had publicly made it known that he hated their sort? Fair trial? I think not.

That's why it's best (when you're listing those you hate) to include the world and his wife.........single mums, dog owners, cat owners, BMW drivers, Facebook users.......you can do it very cleverly without incurring any wrath

You have not been charged for this lesson

 

[papverpoppies]

You might be right..........but imagine the outcry if someone got sent down and it later emerged that one of the jurors had publicly made it known that he hated their sort? Fair trial? I think not.

That's why it's best (when you're listing those you hate) to include the world and his wife.........single mums, dog owners, cat owners, BMW drivers, Facebook users.......you can do it very cleverly without incurring any wrath

You have not been charged for this lesson

When we went down to the court room (not the final jury) and they ask is there any reason you feel you should not serve on this jury because it could prejudice the trial, one women stuck her hand up - the reason.
She 'thought' she recognised one of the Police officers...so she was sent home.

One of the younger members of the jury who was standing next to me whispered 'yes because the food is crap, and there are bits missing from the jigsaws'!
I very nearly burst out laughing in the deathly silence.

He was not dismissed.

Pops xx

 

[Jenni384]

This may help:

Jurors may be excused for valid business reasons. Applications of this type should, however, be looked at closely and granted only if there would be unusual hardship. A small business is an example of a case where such hardship might be suffered, although each case must be considered on its individual merits. Paragraph 4 (above) applies.

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/courtfinder/forms/js_guidance_0709.pdf

Though I do like various other approaches discussed!!

 

[silvermusic]

I did Jury Service must be 20 years or so ago, nice juicy case as well thankfully. However, as for getting out of Jury duty from memory if your occupation is a slaughterman in an abattoir you're not allowed to do Jury service. So you might want to change occupation on the form.

 

[E Storey]

I did Jury Service must be 20 years or so ago, nice juicy case as well thankfully. However, as for getting out of Jury duty from memory if your occupation is a slaughterman in an abattoir you're not allowed to do Jury service. So you might

you do realise I'm gonna spend the rest of the day Googling that for verification!

 

[14A]

I did it about 2yrs ago in Crown court, spent two days sitting around and it gave me a bad back for 4 weeks after jury duty finished - Did 1 case, good for the experience but total waste of time.

I did Jury Service must be 20 years or so ago, nice juicy case as well thankfully. However, as for getting out of Jury duty from memory if your occupation is a slaughterman in an abattoir you're not allowed to do Jury service. So you might

you do realise I'm gonna spend the rest of the day Googling that for verification!

Really? I heard an irish pygmy with a vendette against soap was exempt under policy no. 5.1.2.8.9 part iii

 

[davek17]

I have got away with it twice now. I would love to do it but its simply impossible to be expected to run a business and lose so much financially and they seem to share that opinion with you.

The first time I was just starting a new job, literally starting on the same day and I rang up and was honest about it and they deferred it.

Some years later I got called up again and I was just starting my current business. I would have lost the house if I had been forced to do it and again I was honest and they seemed quite reasonable about it and cancelled it.

I did know a guy years ago who used a rather right wing political stance as an excuse and they also cancelled it, true story!!

 

[thecyclingartist]

£64/day? Man, I'll do it for you!

A friend of mine got called up last year. She's a sole trader craftsperson (jewellery design). So a daily rate was actually a nice bonus, plus she simply brought her beads and such with her and produced during all that waiting time. On top of that several other jurors ended up buying items. All in all a very profitable experience! (plus she did want to do it anyway)

But for the original poster, I would think if you explained your more unusual work situation they'd probably understand.

Tina.

 

[silvermusic]

I did Jury Service must be 20 years or so ago, nice juicy case as well thankfully. However, as for getting out of Jury duty from memory if your occupation is a slaughterman in an abattoir you're not allowed to do Jury service. So you might

you do realise I'm gonna spend the rest of the day Googling that for verification!

I can't find anything via google, although it would appear they've relaxed the rules for many once exempt occupations in recent years. The info was from the booklet you get when you're called up for Jury service. Thinking back mine was in about 1990 or 91.

 

[paulears]

The self-employed suffer quite badly.

If you are self-employed, you will have to provide
the court with some evidence of your loss of earnings. Where available, you may wish to consult your accountant on this but any charges for this information will not be reimbursed by the court.

So how can you claim for work you've not actually had, but probably missed?

In my own case, I'd have to accept a contract, then photocopy it, then say I can't do it, making me less likely to get another from that client. I had to give evidence at the High Court in London, and this meant making a two week gap in my diary for being on call for one day! I didn't accept any work for this period, did one day in court and when I found this out, I asked to be not called - and was told if I didn't appear I'd be subpoena'd! They paid for accommodation, train fare and a meal and that was it! I lost all income for two weeks and tough!

My accountant suggested taking my yearly income and dividing it by 52 as a guide, but this was rejected. No proper evidence of loss, no compensation!