Jury Service

[Garage_Doors]

^ just looked on Direct Gov website,& it is time spent each day. Assuming it's less than 4 hours most days,I will be seriously out of pocket! Unless it's a lengthy case :-/

This is what the thread is about, I'm going to be seriously out of pocket if I have to do it.

 

[KLUNK]

This is what the thread is about, I'm going to be seriously out of pocket if I have to do it.

But surely the majority of the days will exceed 4hrs?

 

[Garage_Doors]

I've done it twice and loved it. I hope they call me again, it's like 2 weeks extra holiday.

I too would very much like to do it, but the realisation is I cannot afford to do it.
Assume I have to do it it will physically cost me money which I feel is not right.
And in doing so I don't feel I will be able to be constructive as the whole time I'm there it will be in the back of my mind that all the time I'm there I'm paying to do it and hence mind will not be on the job in hand.

 

[Superphil]

This is what the thread is about, I'm going to be seriously out of pocket if I have to do it.

Certainly sounds like it's not a loss of earnings cover at all, just a donation. You'll have to tell them it's not possible, they'll be able to find someone else, there's plenty on here who've said they'd enjoy doing it again. There is simply no way I could afford do it for any more than a week, or two at the outside.

 

[Garage_Doors]

But surely the majority of the days will exceed 4hrs?

Not from when the wife did it a couple of years ago.
For the full 10 days she was there she did not sit on one single case, you have to be be there for selection. You don't automatically get to sit in on a case.
Most days for her were 3- 3.5 hours a day.
It's basically a lot of just sitting around.

 

[spring hall convert]

Slightly off topic, but was thinking recently (mainly due to the Ian Watkins case), is there no option to opt out of watching certain evidence? Surely watching some of the videos described in the watkins example could have long term mental effects?

Reading the publically available 8 page judges verdict nearly made me sick, I shudder to think how grim the content of those videos was. That's actually a really good question. Surely one should be able to opt out in those circumstances?

 

[Springal]

Reading the publically available 8 page judges verdict nearly made me sick, I shudder to think how grim the content of those videos was. That's actually a really good question. Surely one should be able to opt out in those circumstances?

I could be wrong, but I thought as he pleaded guilty, there was no need to show the evidence to the jury

 

[spring hall convert]

I could be wrong, but I thought as he pleaded guilty, there was no need to show the evidence to the jury

There wasn't but what was included in the judges sentencing notes was sickening enough. I think it was more of a hypothetical question, he was all set to plead not guilty.

 

[Seaford by the sea]

Not from when the wife did it a couple of years ago.
For the full 10 days she was there she did not sit on one single case, you have to be be there for selection. You don't automatically get to sit in on a case.
Most days for her were 3- 3.5 hours a day.
It's basically a lot of just sitting around.

The facts: if you are self employed or emloyed the court will compensate you for lost earnings up to daily maximum of about £65. This well below what most earn. So majority are out of pocket. The jury bailiff will make every effort to release you if proceedings are such that you aren't at court hanging around. In these circumstances you are expected to go back to work and cannot claim loss of earnings, if your trial goes beyond 2 weeks you can claim for full loss. The judge will ask jurors in long cases if there is good reason for them not to be chosen.

 

[Superphil]

The facts: if you are self employed or emloyed the court will compensate you for lost earnings up to daily maximum of about £65. This well below what most earn. So majority are out of pocket. The jury bailiff will make every effort to release you if proceedings are such that you aren't at court hanging around. In these circumstances you are expected to go back to work and cannot claim loss of earnings, if your trial goes beyond 2 weeks you can claim for full loss. The judge will ask jurors in long cases if there is good reason for them not to be chosen.

In that case, they would roundly be told to sling their hook, what a ridiculous policy. How can they expect people to pay to do jury service?

 

[drew]

Unbelievable how many whinging about performing their civic duty!!! If you are self employed then you will be asked if you can do more than 2 weeks if a trial warrants it. Most likely that most trials last less than a week. I did service last year and did two 3 day trials. I'm self employed but wouldn't think twice about it if asked again. Wonder how everyone would feel if we dispensed with jury trials altogether. Or maybe we should just use the unemployed on jury service. Can you imagine the field day that the likes of the Daily Mail would have when some low life scum from the gutter is, against all the evidence, found innocent by his peers!

 

[Superphil]

Unbelievable how many whinging about performing their civic duty!!! If you are self employed then you will be asked if you can do more than 2 weeks if a trial warrants it. Most likely that most trials last less than a week. I did service last year and did two 3 day trials. I'm self employed but wouldn't think twice about it if asked again. Wonder how everyone would feel if we dispensed with jury trials altogether. Or maybe we should just use the unemployed on jury service. Can you imagine the field day that the likes of the Daily Mail would have when some low life scum from the gutter is, against all the evidence, found innocent by his peers!

Don't have any problem with people doing it, if my circumstances were different I'd quite fancy it, but they're not, so I won't. There are plenty of perfectly good people out there who are not constrained by their employment status who are perfectly suitable. The authorities should simply say it's optional if you are going to be out of pocket doing it, rather than breeding resentment in those for whom it would cost money, in some cases money they can't afford. If you work for a firm who will pay you, then that's brilliant, if you can afford to do it, then magnificent, but leave those of us who can't.

 

[sully]

Firstly, it's only 2 weeks.
Secondly, I was given the option of saying no to a trial that would have taken me beyond the two weeks.
Lastly, as I was a long way from the office, I had a word with the person in charge and got signed off for full days every day, even if sent home early.

I had a great time when I did it and found it extremely interesting. I did 3 cases in the two weeks (well, 2.5 weeks as I said yes to staying for the longer one).

I know it's not possible for all, but I could do some work every day anyway. How many can work from home nowadays? As long as the specific hours aren't important, it's easy to keep your hand in.

I'd recommend it to anyone. Whilst the amount they pay you is less than most of us can earn in a day, I don't remember being seriously out of pocket at the end of it once travel and subsistence was also refunded.

 

[sully]

Do organisations employing 3 or so people really have people working for them, who go off and have babies?

Is that a serious question? Of course they do!

 

[BN9 BHA]

Don't have any problem with people doing it, if my circumstances were different I'd quite fancy it, but they're not, so I won't. There are plenty of perfectly good people out there who are not constrained by their employment status who are perfectly suitable. The authorities should simply say it's optional if you are going to be out of pocket doing it, rather than breeding resentment in those for whom it would cost money, in some cases money they can't afford. If you work for a firm who will pay you, then that's brilliant, if you can afford to do it, then magnificent, but leave those of us who can't.

Good post.
I am self employed and would be out of pocket if I had to do jury service, I have been lucky and have not been selected to do it.

 

[Superphil]

Is that a serious question? Of course they do!

Only by accident, what right minded employer of 2/3 people would take the risk? Yes, serious question.

 

[BN9 BHA]

Unbelievable how many whinging about performing their civic duty!!! If you are self employed then you will be asked if you can do more than 2 weeks if a trial warrants it. Most likely that most trials last less than a week. I did service last year and did two 3 day trials. I'm self employed but wouldn't think twice about it if asked again. Wonder how everyone would feel if we dispensed with jury trials altogether. Or maybe we should just use the unemployed on jury service. Can you imagine the field day that the likes of the Daily Mail would have when some low life scum from the gutter is, against all the evidence, found innocent by his peers!

My business would suffer if I had to do jury service, I put in many extra hours during the year to pay for a holiday and to spend some time with my family at Christmas.
I wouldn't care what anyone like you thought of me if I had to get out of jury service.

 

[sully]

Only by accident, what right minded employer of 2/3 people would take the risk? Yes, serious question.

So you're basically saying they should only employ men?

I'm astounded.

 

[Superphil]

So you're basically saying they should only employ men?

I'm astounded.

Think about it, you run a small business, you are all vital members of staff to the business, not secretarial, not unskilled, but key employees. You would have to think very carefully before you employed someone who was planning on having a baby, if you lost that member of staff for up to a year, apart from the money you would have to pay them when they are not earning, how could you operate? It could be commercial suicide, it would be a factor for any very small business. Then again, I'm sure any small business employer knows this already and wouldn't take the risk.

 

[sod1]

you're to nice , i got off it years ago
regards
DR

proably around the same time as me