Jury Service question

Billysboots

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Well I suppose they pay their taxes and are entitled to vote so why not.
but as you say must be a conflict of interest.
can they say no ? As losing an officer for two weeks off his job isn’t good.

They can’t say no, but if I was a defence barrister I would make every effort to have them as far from the jury benches as possible.

Aside from it being a conflict of interests, most police officers, although not all by any means, can spot the stunts pulled by defence lawyers a mile off.

It would be a big disadvantage to a defence having an experienced and savvy cop trying their client.
 

PJ87

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Not in a City centre court.
prices there are much higher.

The court she went to wednesday was Stratford , we drove so an entire £7 in milage lol (dunno if that would cover fuel for most cars?) Parking was £17 (luckily that's covered) and she gets £4.80 think it was to cover food and drink

So she will gey £12 on top of the parking

If she wasnt paid that would be £65 on top I believe so £77 which is less than she would lose in wages I believe ( I guess tax free might level out?) But if it was me I'd be well out of pocket for doing the right thing.

That's what got me. They asked her to come back (would she be willing they said) think how many cases would be dropped because witnesses can't afford to take the day off
 

clubchamp98

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The court she went to wednesday was Stratford , we drove so an entire £7 in milage lol (dunno if that would cover fuel for most cars?) Parking was £17 (luckily that's covered) and she gets £4.80 think it was to cover food and drink

So she will gey £12 on top of the parking

If she wasnt paid that would be £65 on top I believe so £77 which is less than she would lose in wages I believe ( I guess tax free might level out?) But if it was me I'd be well out of pocket for doing the right thing.

That's what got me. They asked her to come back (would she be willing they said) think how many cases would be dropped because witnesses can't afford to take the day off
Yes seems double standards when looking at the Lords daily expenses.
£300 just for turning up.
 

PJ87

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Yes seems double standards when looking at the Lords daily expenses.
£300 just for turning up.

Yeah doesn't look good

They wanted her back this week she was like I have 3 kids under 6 and it's half term with parents away no

They weren't happy but will try another day
 

arnieboy

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I would jump at the chance to do jury service. My wife got called at 18 and I have been waiting ever since. Soon be past the age threshold so it is very unlikely to happen.
 

SocketRocket

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When I did it around 2010 there was a pool of potential Jurors who had to wait around in a jury room all week until you were called as a potential juror. I was called on the third day, they call more than the required twelve, I think it was fifteen. You were then called forward one at a time to swear an oath, at this point the defending Barrister can object to you without giving a reason and you are then dismissed. When they get twelve the remainder return to the jury room. You then form a jury, pick a Foreperson and get on with it. Our trial lasted three days, one and a half in the jury room trying to reach a unanimous verdict. Found it very interesting once on the jury, the waiting around for days was boring.
 

MiurasFan

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When I did it around 2010 there was a pool of potential Jurors who had to wait around in a jury room all week until you were called as a potential juror. I was called on the third day, they call more than the required twelve, I think it was fifteen. You were then called forward one at a time to swear an oath, at this point the defending Barrister can object to you without giving a reason and you are then dismissed. When they get twelve the remainder return to the jury room. You then form a jury, pick a Foreperson and get on with it. Our trial lasted three days, one and a half in the jury room trying to reach a unanimous verdict. Found it very interesting once on the jury, the waiting around for days was boring.
My Dad was called for service many years ago. Ended up on a libel (or defamation) case against a newspaper. After the trial, he described some of the goings on! Somehow he got elected as foreman and while it was apparently pretty easy to find in favour of the complainant, the amount of damages (for some reason it was the jury that decided those) was the sticking point! A couple wanted it to be £1, while another wanted it to be the maximum - to allow the guy to retire and teach the paper a lesson! It took several hours before a compromise could be agreed!
 

PJ87

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My Dad was called for service many years ago. Ended up on a libel (or defamation) case against a newspaper. After the trial, he described some of the goings on! Somehow he got elected as foreman and while it was apparently pretty easy to find in favour of the complainant, the amount of damages (for some reason it was the jury that decided those) was the sticking point! A couple wanted it to be £1, while another wanted it to be the maximum - to allow the guy to retire and teach the paper a lesson! It took several hours before a compromise could be agreed!

Real question would be why on earth wouldn't you want to see the paper have to pay out? They are all shameful.
 

MiurasFan

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Real question would be why on earth wouldn't you want to see the paper have to pay out? They are all shameful.
Most likely to get the message across that there are consequences to defamation or libel that should be considered before publishing! Also, mainly for public figures, reparation for the value of damage caused! Without such awards - that hurt the newspaper (in that case) - they would simply continue to offend! It's the same for custodial sentences - part punishment and part prevention. Whether any sentence or award works is a different question!
 

SocketRocket

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My Dad was called for service many years ago. Ended up on a libel (or defamation) case against a newspaper. After the trial, he described some of the goings on! Somehow he got elected as foreman and while it was apparently pretty easy to find in favour of the complainant, the amount of damages (for some reason it was the jury that decided those) was the sticking point! A couple wanted it to be £1, while another wanted it to be the maximum - to allow the guy to retire and teach the paper a lesson! It took several hours before a compromise could be agreed!
I was elected Foreman, it was a real trying experience trying to get a unanimous verdict.
 

Swango1980

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Has anyone here done jury service? My service was due to start tomorrow but I had an email saying I wasn't required to attend on Monday but I should remain available. I have to wait for an email the day before to see if I'm due in the next day.
Does this mean I'm not in the selected jury for the 2 weeks and unlikely to be called or is it a fresh jury each day (apart from those on trials more than a day)

It's a little annoying that I went through a great deal of inconvenience to clear my diary for two weeks only to be told "thanks but no thanks"
My work colleague was called up last year. Had to take 2 weeks off.

He actually got quite excited, and watched 12 Angry Men before starting. I think he thought he was going to be some sort of hero you'd see in a legal drama.

Anyway, turned up on the first day, there were no cases for him to sit. Told to go home, and come back tomorrow. That was repeated for the next 3 or 4 days. He'd just turn up in the morning, to find out he wasn't needed. After the 3rd or 4th day, they just told him that he was no longer required (I guess if a case did come up, they'd have just got the jurors that turn up the next week to sit it, given they have the 2 full weeks ahead of them). He was then able to come back into work (although he had come into work the days before, after being dismissed each morning).
 
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