Jury service

[chrbb]

Not happy - got my jury service letter today:mad: Panicing about a few things - will I get paid, as sole techie in school who will do my job (and I'm currently very busy) and will I manage to keep my absolute hatred and contempt for the UK's legal system to myself?

[Andrew_C]

You might be able to defer during term time. I believe teachers can, and maybe support staff come under the same rules.

[maniac]

Yes you will get paid, don't worry you won't end up out of pocket. Even if your employer doesn't pay you, you can claim loss of earnings from the court by getting your employer to fill out a form. They pay you very quickly. You can also claim travelling expenses and a food allowance. There are limits on the loss of earnings, but I think they're quite high and are unlikely to affect anyone in a averagely paid job.

 

My recommendation - enjoy it, if you can of course as some cases can be pretty grim. It's a priveledge to do in my opinion, and the one time you have a direct say in the legal proceedings of this country, however small it may be, so make the most of it!

 

Mike.

[elsiegee40]

Will you get paid?

You do get 'paid' for Jury service, but it's not as much as your hourly rate would normally be probably. Your employer is not bound to make up the difference.

 

Who will do your job?

That's a difficult one. Your LA may help your school with cover. You may end up with little or nothing to do when on jury service and be able to go back and get some stuff done.

 

Our caretaker did jury service about 18 months ago. He didn't actually do anything at all for the first 3 days as there was a trial still going on from the previous week. He had to go in each day and hang around for a while and then got sent home. (Advice = take a book!) He then had stuff to do taking him up to the Thursday of Week 2. Trials are not normally started on a Friday, so that was the end of his jury service.

 

will I manage to keep my absolute hatred and contempt for the UK's legal system to myself?

This triplet will have to lend you her share of the patience gene

 

This is quite helpful: hmcs - Information about Jury Service

 

The attached hmrcs allowances document took so flaming long to download from their website, I've uploaded it here... it's quicker!

 

Pay from HMRC's point of view: HM Revenue & Customs: Employee goes on jury service

juror_allowances_e.pdf

Edited September 29, 2010 by elsiegee40

[chrbb]

Mmm might not be out of pocket then, must admit I have a slight concern that no doubt the school will find someone that's 'quite good with computers' you know the person that everyone knows that mends computers, to do my job whilst I'm not there.

[elsiegee40]

Make sure you set up the servers with logmein so you can at least manage them from the nearest coffee bar if necessary.

[witch]

I do hope you decide to do it - it might well give you an insight into our legal system that could be useful. It is often the case that middle-class intelligent, educated people, particularly women, manage to get out of jury service which means that we are not represented properly in the jury system.

As for your computers -logmein is a good idea, as is making sure that noone has the admin password but there is an acct which people can use to change passwords etc.

And patience? This triplet doesnt have much, but what I do have, is yours....

[glennda]

They do class school holidays as holiday - so you could get out of it this way! i know one of our very jammy assistant heads did this!

[mattx]

I would love to do Jury Service - in fact they could stick me on a huge drawn out case which could take months. I would love it - not a stupid computer in sight. Would make a change from showing people how to do something for the zillionith time.......

No sound ? Oooo look, volume turned down. Nothing on the screen ? Ooooo look, try turning it on. IWB not working ? Oooo look, here is the tutorial I E-mailed to everyone, it's also on the staff notice board and it's also the TOP knowledge base link on Spiceworks......

Months without having wipe bottoms - that would be heaven.

 

So please please please please please please please - I want to do Jury Service, and the longer the better. Pick me !! For the love of God, PICK ME !!!

Edited September 29, 2010 by mattx

[elsiegee40]

My Mum was on jury service a few years ago... Coroner's Court.

 

It was every bit as bad as you might imagine * shudders *

[Simcfc73]

My mom was on a few weeks ago in Leeds.

 

First 3 days she didn't get called.. day 4 told not to come in.

The following week she got a 2 days trial and then afterwards they said she didn't have to come back. Asked to come for 2 weeks and only did 2 days.. she was sooooo bored.

 

Another set of jurors got a 6 weeker... she was gutted

[mattx]

That would be bliss for me - 6 weeks !!! I can only dream..................

[arwen]

They seem to like me for some reason, been called up twice in the 3 years I have been eligable! But fortunatly I wasnt selected to acctually be on the jury, still a waste of 3 days each time :-/ Agree on taking a book... You'll spend most of your time hanging around.

They are good at paying you though, very efficent for a change!

[Admiral208]

I've done it twice! Once for the criminal court and once for the coroners court. It was so interesting. and as for your views on the UK legal system, as Witch says, now is your chance to see its inner workings and be a part of it. It might change your opinion.

[pete]

Think of it as a DR / Big Red Bus test for the school. Get a local NM (who you trust / is within throttling distance) to act as backup while you're on jury service.

 

Since "the bloke who mends everyone's PCs" is unlikely to be CRB'd, that's not a concern I'd worry about (unless there's spare staff to chaperone them everywhere all day?)

[LeMarchand]

Done it twice. If you have to do it 1) take a book and 2) make sure you get the foreman to ask any questions you may have asap; if they start summing up it will be too late.

 

I totally understand your predicament, though, and if I was called again I would try to defer it to the holidays.

[timzim]

I would love to do Jury Service - in fact they could stick me on a huge drawn out case which could take months. I would love it - not a stupid computer in sight. Would make a change from showing people how to do something for the zillionith time.......

No sound ? Oooo look, volume turned down. Nothing on the screen ? Ooooo look, try turning it on. IWB not working ? Oooo look, here is the tutorial I E-mailed to everyone, it's also on the staff notice board and it's also the TOP knowledge base link on Spiceworks......

Months without having wipe bottoms - that would be heaven.

 

So please please please please please please please - I want to do Jury Service, and the longer the better. Pick me !! For the love of God, PICK ME !!!

 

Put the knife down Matt and back away from the user...slowly...slowly...

[Busybub]

Done it twice. If you have to do it 1) take a book and 2) make sure you get the foreman to ask any questions you may have asap; if they start summing up it will be too late.

 

Also, take lots of notes. You don't get a transcript at the end and they won't prepare one for you, even if you ask. If you want to revisit any evidence it will be read out to you by the judge.

 

Make sure you have all your expenses forms up to date, loss of earnings form completed with bank details, and receipts on you at all times. Once the jury is discharged they don't waste any time booting you out and get straight onto processing all the paperwork (anything due is normally in your bank account within 7 days).

[sidewinder]

I'm not desperate to do it, but I do hope I get called up at some point...it just seems like one of those things that would be a an interesting experiance to look back on, whether it was good or bad

[Ketlane]

I was called once, quite a while ago. Phoned them, they were ever so helpful in deferring my service to a time convenient for school and work and things. Found it absolutely fascinating - but there are times when you certainly need a book or three, the newspaper and probably some knitting or something. Had two days doing v little, was sent home on one day, and we were quite frequently bundled out of the court while some legal argument was heard, and again had to amuse ourselves. For interest, don't miss it - and it is an opportunity to have your (circumscribed) say....

[SimpleSi]

Just make sure you pay attention with paperwork for expenses claims/loss of earnings and check to see what your boss is going to do while you were away.

 

When I did mine a couple of years ago - my headteacher decided not to bother anyone with the paperwork and just paid me as normal and I just claimed my expenses from the court.

 

You can have your mobile phone on at all times except when actually in court (you can have it on you even then but god help you if the judge hears it going off or see you txting on it!) and when is case is handed to you for a decision, so you will normally be contactable for a large part of the time.

 

Logmein will be your friend (if allowed by your RBC )

 

Just make sure you don't get caught like a TA in one my schools did on Friday - she found out her headteacher had taken her off the payroll for the whole 2 weeks (and didn't tell her) and she hasn't claimed for loss of earning from the court (because she didn't think she'd need to) and only got 2.5 weeks pay

 

regards

 

Simon