Jury Service - Week 1

Well…what can I say to sum up what happened this week, one word springs to mind…farce!.
But, let’s break it down day by day…not that there are actually many days of actual Jury Service to report, as all in all, this week I, and everyone else on Jury Service at this court, were only required in for two days, Monday and Wednesday., So…

Day 1, Monday – Arrived at 08:45, a few people already there waiting, by 09:20 most of the ‘week 1’ jurors have arrived, Jury officer introducers herself, does a role call to ensure we’re all there, then plays a video showing the role of the juror and what will happen if you’re asked to be a juror on a case. Then the café manager gives his speech on how the café works, and how to use our ‘smart’ cards with the £5 daily allowance on, so by about 10:30 or so, all introductions are complete and that’s it…..we’re just left sitting and waiting and waiting and waiting, get released for an hour at lunch time, come back at 14:00 and again just sit there waiting, by this time I’ve read the book I brought with me, and am now half way through one of the books I bought at lunch time, brain is starting to melt…at 15:30 the jury officer comes back in, apologises for the long waits, and then states we’re all released, but that we need to phone the answer phone service and see if we’re required the following day. Phone some time after 17:00, Week 1 jurors are not required on Tuesday. Good start to the week so far….not.

Day 2, Wednesday – After phoning the answer phone service Tuesday evening, week 1 jurors are required in on Wednesday, week 2 jurors are released from jury service. Get in at about 09:30, sit somewhere different today, hoping they’ll be friendlier jurors who will actually talk to people, and sure enough, they are. Have a nice little chat with several people, and then watch another great farce unfold. A court official enters the jury assembly room, asks if the jury for court 4 is there, a group of people get up from the far table and walk over to the official, apparently two jurors are missing, about 5 minutes later another juror comes in and joins them, and now 1 person is missing. Overhear the court official saying something about the person being ill, and not being able to make it in so they’re dismissed..this is at about 10:15, so they all go to the café to spend they’re allowance…great amusement to us watching, giving running commentary on what everyone is buying, seeing people leaving with 10 bars of kit-kats, several crème eggs…quite possibly the highlight of the day.

Around 10:50’ish, another court official comes in, and calls out names to go up to a court, I’m amongst them, some action at last. We’re taken up to the court waiting room…waiting, waiting, waiting, at about 11:30 the official comes back out, says there’s a slight delay and that we can go and have a drink or something and come back in 15 minutes or so. We do, and we return and wait for another 10 mins, then finally we’re taken into the court, lined up, we’re all thinking this is it, gonna actually do something finally. Then the Judge speaks, says that no Jury is required for this case, and there will never need to be a jury for it, apologises for making us wait around so much and then dismisses us, free to go home.

Phone the number that evening, not required on Thursday, phone again Thursday evening, not required for Friday. So back to work for me. Hopefully we’ll see some action next week….if we’re required.