The jury service queries thread

[LordChaverly]

Someone once said that a British jury is comprised of twelve ordinary citizens who are too stupid to think of a plausible reason to be excused from jury service.

[*Cinderella*]

I had five months and loved every minute of it. As many defendants as jurors (more by the end; one juror got slung off for chatting up one of the barristers). More defence counsel than defendants. Three prosecuting counsel.

We only got as far as the end of the prosecution case, then the trial was abandoned with all defendants acquitted. If they'd thought to ask the jury, we could have told them on day one that it was a police stitch-up; that would have spared the public purse the multi-million pound bill for the whole shambles.

[cressida]

Yes I have served on a jury, in Knutsford, Cheshire, case concerned was "pecuniary advantage" we acquitted him - young man mid-twenties thanked us all outside afterwards

[medusa]

I did jury service for two periods a few years ago, and in the second period had to change courts for one trial since the defendant was one that I had been jury foreman when we had convicted him of car crimes during my first period of service.

 

It was mostly terminally boring, but it's an essential part of our system of justice so someone has to do it and I regard it as one of the more important civic duties for anyone who is asked.

[hennypenny]

How do they decide who to ask? I hear of loads of people being called but I have never been approached, and I think I would love it

[medusa]

People are chosen at random off the electoral register- if you're called you just get a letter asking you to turn up on a certain day.

 

Not turning up is a criminal offence unless you've contacted them and been excused, although there are plenty of people who turn up and are never used in a trial- and once you've done one two-week session they can't ask you for another number of years.

[DaFoot]

I have done 2 weeks.

2 cases, both quite interesting (and serious..).

 

Not sure that 'enjoyed' is the right word, but I certainly found the process fascinating.

 

In the first case I was last to be persuaded to our verdict.

[amyamymay]

The only people i've ever met who've been on a jury are older folk, white middle class..maybe this isn't the case but its always worried me slightly that it doesn't seem to be very representative..do they try and get a cross section of the population?

[medusa]

The only people i've ever met who've been on a jury are older folk, white middle class..maybe this isn't the case but its always worried me slightly that it doesn't seem to be very representative..do they try and get a cross section of the population?

 

That's why the official process is to choose randomly from the electoral register- so theoretically at least the age, gender, race etc. makeup of the town/city should be represented equally.

 

I was 21 when I did my first session and 24 for my second- but my mum was 59 on the only time she was ever asked and my dad and other family members have never been asked.

[DaFoot]

That's why the official process is to choose randomly from the electoral register- so theoretically at least the age, gender, race etc. makeup of the town/city should be represented equally.

 

Random pick of people who chose to be on the electoral role...plenty of people don't bother.

 

I wonder if it is reasonable that the group mentioned by previous reply are more likely to ensure they are on the electoral roll - hence perhaps a higher proportion?