Jury Service in the UK

Jury duty is calling! Time to fulfil your civic duty as a good UK citizen. 

There’s a first time for everything. As a dual national, I have never done jury duty on either side of the pond. Earlier this summer I received a jury summons letter in the post. Oh dear.  Yes, it is possible to defer jury service for valid reasons such as illness, pregnancy, work-travel, education, and so forth. But I decided to confirm my attendance. So here we go, jury duty it is. Such was my luck, I was assigned to the Inner London Crown Court in Elephant & Castle which is just across the street from my favourite food market – Mercado Metropolitan. So what to expect if you are due to report to service? Here’s a quick overview.

Expect Long Wait Time in the Jury Room

On Day 1, you are due to report to jury service at 9:00am. Jury service can last up to 10 working days if you are (un)lucky, but generally it is around 3 to 5 days. The first morning is about administrative matters and a briefing session. Then you sit and wait in a large room with 75-100 people until further instructions. There is a lot of waiting, so be sure to charge the headphones, phones, and tablets and download all your music, podcasts, and audiobooks. 

• Watch movies or Netflix/Disney+/Sky TV series
• Listen to a few podcasts
• Catch up on a book
• Shop online 
• Complete parental admin tasks
• Listen to music
• Reply to work or personal emails, whatsapp chats and Teams chats

Bring Food, Snacks, and Water

I recommend bringing food, snacks, and water. The Inner Crown Court did not have a canteen, but did have a small food kiosk and a few vending machines. You cannot leave the jury waiting area unless it is lunch or dismal for the day.  It is best to bring some food. Your £5.71 daily subsistence can probably buy a Tesco meal deal and a cup of coffee. Once you are in jury deliberation, you remain in the juror’s room until a verdict is reached. Food, snacks, and drinks are a must! 

Serving as a Juror

When a court case is ready, 15 jurors are randomly selected for service. Once inside the court chamber, there is another random selection for the final 12 jurors. At this point, you’ll receive your juror number, find your seat in the juror box, and take an oath. The remaining three jurors return to the waiting room. I was on a short assault case which lasted two days and the jury deliberation took 90 minutes. 

The job of the juror is to listen to the facts presented in court. To be honest, it can be quite dull listening to the witness testimonies. In my case, the prosecution team came off nervous and ill-prepared, and the defendant was on video with no legal representation. There is also a lot of waiting time once inside the court chamber. Waiting for the proceedings to start. Waiting for the judge to take his/her seat. Waiting for the witness to take his/her oath. Just a lot of waiting. 

After the prosecution and defence teams finish their examinations, the jurors head into the jury room for deliberation with nothing but a pencil and paper. The case is discussed amongst the jurors and a unanimous decision must be made on the criminal case. 

Claim your Expenses

If you are eligible, you can claim back up to £64.95 a day for loss of earnings during the first 10 days of jury service. Amongst other expenses you can claim:

• £5.71 per day for food and drink (no receipts required) 
• Travel expenses other than Ubers and taxi at cost (receipts required)
• Childcare costs for up to £64 subject to eligibility 

The court will ask you to complete a paper form and submit receipts via email after completion of jury service. This process is fairly straightforward. 

If you’ve been summoned to jury duty, don’t fret, it is not as bad as you think. Come prepared with movies, books, and music. Put on your listening ears during the trial. And pray that it will be your first and hopefully last jury service!