Uk jury duty

[AI101]

Does anyone know if there's a way that pilots in the uk can get out of jury service , I am asking because I know that in Ireland pilots are excused from jury but can't find anything about the uk maybe someone can shed some light

[BizJetJock]

Why should they be excused?? Unless on the grounds of insanity......:}

[Capetonian]

If you mean 'are pilots permanently excused form jury duty?' then the answer is no, and why should they be?

If you mean 'would a pilot be excused jury duty if it clashed with a rostered duty trip?' then the answer is that a deferral would normally be granted, but has to be requested in writing and it would be a good idea to include supporting documentation. The person may or may not be called on to serve on alternative dates.

[airborne_artist]

Unless on the grounds of insanity......http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/badteeth.gif Today 11:29

Go to prison, perhaps?

[dontdoit]

Simples. Do as a friend of mine did, turn up on day 1, point to the accused and shout "I know him, he owes me money". Instantly replaced.

[Agaricus bisporus]

Part of your duty as a responsible citizen is to do jury service when called upon. Why would you want to duck it?

As for the previous post, that is simply beyond contempt. He should have been imprisoned himself for contempt of court.

[Spitoon]

As for the previous post, that is simply beyond contempt. He should have been imprisoned himself for contempt of court. Perhaps true.....but it still made me smile.

[BizJetJock]

I am fairly reliably told that if you turn up wearing a suit you have a very good chance of being rejected by the defence due to your obvious middle class bias against yobs!!:ok:

[Georgeablelovehowindia]

I've done jury service. You can defer doing it, if it interferes with booked holiday arrangements, hospital appointments, etc., but you will have to do it eventually.

There is a lengthy brochure on court procedure to read before you attend. When you turn up - half an hour early on Day 1 - you go to the secure common room where you have to watch a video which goes through court procedure and correct behaviour again. That includes not drinking straight out of water bottles, by the way. 'Their Honours' don't condone it. Water is one of the very few items you are permitted to take into the courtroom. Needless to say, mobile phones are banned. You are issued with a key and locker to put your things in while in the courtroom.

When you are eventually called to go into court for a trial, sixteen or so of you go up, so that the defence can refuse some of you, if they don't like the cut of your jib. Wearing a smart suit and getting refused by the defence will get you sent back to the common room to twiddle your thumbs until your name is called for another trial, so sorry to disappoint BizJetJock! Oh and dondoit, I can assure you that pointing and shouting will instantly get you fined heavily for contempt. The correct procedure is to write a note and hand what you have to say to the clerk of the court. The only time a juror says anything in court is when taking the oath, and when the foreman delivers the guilty/not guilty verdict.

It's all very strict, really. I did my service at Reading Crown Court and in the space of two weeks I did two child molesting trials and a nasty GBH.

I was rather hacked off when the brown envelope thudded on the doormat, summoning me to jury service, but in the end, I rather enjoyed it. The meal allowances are poor, though!

[PeteMac]

Simple, tell them you are self-employ and unable to get a contractor (replacement) who is either correctly insured &/or qualified.

[tlowther]

The "self employed" card won't work either.

There are procedures in place to claim for loss of earnings, it's all described in the documentation that comes in the post.

You are allowed to defer it once, but the next time they contact you then you have to do it.

The sitting around can be dull, but once you have been selected for a case it's actually quite interesting.

[AlexanderH]

You can defer it. When it comes for the selection on the trial start date, you can explain to the judge your circumstance. He will then decide if your reason is valid or not. I have a feeling that he will probably not exclude you given that jury service is a citizens most important obligation to society in the eyes of a judge.

[parabellum]

Friend of mine got selected for jury service and found himself listening to just over six months of argument about a very complicated financial fraud in high places case. He admitted he knew nothing about high finance and couldn't judge what was right and what was wrong without an intimate knowledge of the financial world. Friends comment afterwards was that someone with a minimum of ten years in the City would have been a better choice than a long haul SFO!

[mitzy69]

an interesting experience into another world.
with certain types riggling out of it, the jury tends to be middle aged women and old men.
after hearing all the evidence thought the man was gulity as hell,
after the foreman gave the verdict to the judge, the previous crimes were read out, and confirmed it.

[er340790]

BizJetJock makes a valid point.

My grandfather was called up twice back in the 1970s. He turned up the first time in his regular business suit and was the first to be asked to stand down. (I forget, but I think each side's lawyers can 'name' 3 jurors they don't like the look of.) The second time he turned up in casual clothing and was accepted.

He still found the defendant just as guilty though! :E

As to excuses, if you feel that way, I understand the Court will accept self-confessed racism / homophobia / ageism / sexism etc etc etc as valid reasons.

It always amused me in the US that they ask jurors in capital cases if they could find a person guilty in a death penalty case. If they say no, they can stand-down. Seems a surefire way of pre-loading the jury box with a 'hand 'em high!' group.

[radeng]

A friend in California was called. he appeared in his suit, and was asked if he ahd read about teh case in the papers. having replied 'Yes', he was asked if he had an opinion. His reply was 'If there wasn't a very good chance of them being guilty, the DA wouldn't be wasting his time prosecuting in person'.

Immediately stood down....The only time I was called, (for the Old Bailey) I never even got as far as trying a case. They ended up with too many of us, and we were stood down after two days.