The Student Room Group

Jury Summons

Hi guys,

Just wondering if you can help. Just got jury summons from the court and basically want to be excused. I'm a full-time student, and can't really afford to take time-off to sit on the jury, plus my uni won't allow it. Also, in the summer, I want to be doing an internship and go abroad for researching my dissertation. Do you think those will be valid excuses? Then in sept, I start my final year, and definitely won't be able to take time off. I don't really have a problem doing jury service, and won't mind doing it between graduation and starting work, it's just now is definitely not a great time for me.

Cheers!

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Your uni has to allow it, if they insist on your doing it. I guess you just have to write and see what they say. You might have to do it though.
Reply 2
I don't really want to take time off uni though, at oxford, if we take more than a week off term, our tutor says we have to defer (or something like that). Do you think that I can defer to July 2007?
Reply 3
You could ask. However, since employers are legally required to allow employees all the time off they need for jury service, I should think uni would be understanding. One of our tutors was off for weeks because he had to go...he deferred once as he was on holiday at the time.
Reply 4
what is the deal with jury service - can absolutely anyone get called for it? or do you have to register or something :\
Reply 5
Oh god, that sounds awful, like your life has to be put on hold for other people's crimes! :mad:
Reply 6
anyone over the age of 18 can be called to be part of a jury... although there are people who cannot even if they are over 18... but its 1am and cannot be bothered listing the requirements
Reply 7
Here you go Niksip, this might help.

http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/juror/faqs/index.html
Reply 8
niksip
Hi guys,

Just wondering if you can help. Just got jury summons from the court and basically want to be excused. I'm a full-time student, and can't really afford to take time-off to sit on the jury, plus my uni won't allow it. Also, in the summer, I want to be doing an internship and go abroad for researching my dissertation. Do you think those will be valid excuses? Then in sept, I start my final year, and definitely won't be able to take time off. I don't really have a problem doing jury service, and won't mind doing it between graduation and starting work, it's just now is definitely not a great time for me.

Cheers!


I have a bit of insiders knowledge on this.

Basically the list of people who are exempt from jury service is small (do you have a serious crimnal conviction? if not you are very unlikely to be exempt). Also it is only in exceptional circumstances that you will be excused jury service (you can try, but tbh I'd doubt you'll succeed)

Jury service is seen as a civic duty, like paying taxes; once you have the summons (unless there are truly exceptional circumstances) you should resign yourself to the fact that sometime in the near future (the next 12 months) you will be doing jury service.

Descisions about if and when you do jury service are not down to you or your university, if you've been summoned you can't refuse to go and your university can't stop you from going.

There is one course of action that you can take you can ask for your jury service to be deferred so that it falls into a time more convient to you. Deferrals are common and the courts have been directed to take a sympathetic view, so it is well worth your time requesting one and if I was in your situation that is exactly what I would do and you shouldn't have any problem deferring your service to non-term time. Bear in mind you can only defer your service to soemtime in the next 12 months
pikaboo
Oh god, that sounds awful, like your life has to be put on hold for other people's crimes! :mad:


On the other hand, if you got wrongfully accused of a crime one day, you'd want to have a fair trial, wouldn't you? Without juries, the criminal justice system would be completely corrupt, so it's everyone's duty.
Reply 10
ooh i want to get called for jury duty :biggrin:
Reply 11
Yeah I wouldn't mind getting called for Jury Duty either Fleece :smile:

Mind you, someone told me you could get out of it if you did Psychology :frown:

Hey, to the OP....do you/have you done Psychology?!
Reply 12
:-\ i take it as an elective (but only because the queue was short at elective fair)...hope that doesnt take me out of the running!
Reply 13
Fleece
:-\ i take it as an elective (but only because the queue was short at elective fair)...hope that doesnt take me out of the running!


Aww I hope not! I mean I guess if you don't use it as an excuse (not just you, me as well!) we should be ok! My old Psych teacher did jury service to get out of teaching us (she hated teaching! lol) so I guess if she can do it, anyone can :biggrin:

If you do go, when you're in the court, pretend you know the defendant somehow and it'll prejudice you, and then your jury duty is over... and you're off the trial!
Reply 15
Thanks guys, I'm going to try and be excused, and if not, defer it to the summer and hopefully arrange it near the beginning or end of the holidays...
Reply 16
I got callled pretty much as soon as I was 18. I had so much A-Level stuff going on when they wanted me that I couldnt do it. I called them and said I was busy with school so they wrote back and said that was fine and I was excused.
Reply 17
Deferring it until the summer seems your best bet; even if you can't get it outside of your internship, your employer has to allow you to go and a couple of weeks missed from a summer jobs seem less damaging than a couple of weeks away from lectures and studies. Do you not get some expenses paid for your trouble?
Reply 18
niksip
Hi guys,

Just wondering if you can help. Just got jury summons from the court and basically want to be excused. I'm a full-time student, and can't really afford to take time-off to sit on the jury, plus my uni won't allow it. Also, in the summer, I want to be doing an internship and go abroad for researching my dissertation. Do you think those will be valid excuses? Then in sept, I start my final year, and definitely won't be able to take time off. I don't really have a problem doing jury service, and won't mind doing it between graduation and starting work, it's just now is definitely not a great time for me.

Cheers!
Ok so you want to get off jury duty!!!
Here is advice from someone who has just finished studying the jury system...
Usually you write a letter to them informing them that you are unable to attend due to univerity work as it is a crucial time in your education. they should allow you to be taken off it thia time but in another two years you may be called upon again or they might leave you off !
just write to them saying you know whether people are guilty or not just by looking at them. they will soon find a way to get rid of you.