Why not me or my family?

I’m the only person I know who has been called up. Many years ago. I was elected spokesperson.

Never been called, thankfully, and never will be now. One of my daughters was called, was there for several days, but never went into court.

I hated doing it and having had a great belief in the jury system beforehand I would now change it in a heartbeat. The trial I sat on was heartrending and I believe the jury system badly let down the victim.

Then to compound the whole farcical business jurists are not allowed to talk about the trial or what happens in the jury room without being found in contempt of court. So, hypothetically speaking, if I thought the jury I sat on did not discharge their duties as well as they should or could have, there is no legal forum for me to say so and to describe why.

I don’t know anyone who has been. But when working in a Jobcentre, many clients were called. It made a right mess of their payments.

I've been called once, but don't know of anyone else who has been. DH was quite jealous!

I've been called for the first time starting 13th may, change of scene and put my mind to something else tbh, will see

I have never been called for jury service, but some years ago my husband was. He is the only person I know that has done it.

No one in our family or anyone I know ( in UK) has ever been called and I can’t speak for others but I am so thankful I would absolutely hate to do it
My son was called up in NZ not long after he had moved there 20 odd years ago it was a domestic violence case

I was called for Jury Service a few years ago. I was very excited, but for most of the time you just sit around waiting for a case to come up. So most days are very boring - watching daytime TV in the waiting room.

I was involved in two cases, both of which the police didn't submit enough evidence to the jurors to judge guilty 'beyond reasonable doubt', although I was absolutely sure that both defendants were guilty.

So a bit disappointed in our justice system.

My husband has been called twice but never had to sit on a jury. Very boring as they had to hang around in the jury room. At least he took a newspaper and book. Some people just sat and twiddled their thumbs.

www.gov.uk/jury-service Makes quite interesting reading although I think it varies a bit in different areas.

It's random, they take it from the electoral rolls. I've been called twice and my SIL has been called once. There isn't any rhyme or reason to it and you don't have to be an upstanding citizen - all types are included !

My father did jury service in the 60s and as far as I know he is the only one in the family who has done.

It's random.
I have done it once and quite honestly say, most of the time it was boring! Spent most of the time either in the waiting room, waiting to be called to the courtroom (and then not selected for that case) or when I was selected, we spent most of the time sitting in the holding room outside the court room while the legal bods did their "housekeeping" ie barristers arguing over legalities. Difficult to keep tabs on what was actually happening some days!
We were given a smart card - £5 allowance per day for food and drink which just about covered a hot drink and a sandwich - a cup of tea was £2.75 and a sandwich (either ham or cheese) was £3, a packet of crisps was 70p and a bar of chocolate(of any kind )was 70p - this was 15 years ago! Most of us ended up taking a packed lunch as in our court we usually didn't break for lunch until 1.30 - they stopped serving food at that time! So hope I don't have to do it again!

I did jury service once in my mid twenties. I was called again a year or two later but got out of it as I was pregnant with first child. No one else in the family has been called.
I'm sure it is done randomly.

Interesting reading. Thanks all.

It's random. I did it for nearly three weeks about 8 years ago and my husband did it about 2 years ago. The Jury Service people are very helpful. My husband was warned that his case might run for three months. He is self-employed and could not possibly be missing for three months. He explained this and he was switched to a different case. Less than two weeks, Do take things to read though because there can be a lot of sitting about for various reasons when you are not actually in court but are required to be available in the building. It is a very interesting experience to do jury service.

Being a true crime buff I was excited to be called. Even more excited to be picked for a murder trial. I will forever be careful what I wish for from now on....
It was horrendous. 7 weeks. Alot of medical evidence we could never understand because we aren't neurologists. Pictures I can never unsee.
We were all excused for 10 years after that.

I was called to the Old Bailey despite living in Surrey (just within the M25), apparantely I was amongst the last to be called from that distance. We sat in No 1 Court, where all the big trials have been held, for our induction. Sat around on first day, second day I was selected with others to go to the Royal Courts of Justice (High Court) for a Civil trial (Libel case) as RCJ rarely needs a Jury they request Jurors from the Old Bailey. It was fascinating, my fellow Jurors were a real cross section of Society & being in that beautiful building was an experience.

My Step-S is the only other person in the family to do Jury Service. To answer your question the selection is completely random & taken from the Electoral Roll.

I was called once to the high court and found it very interesting.
It was half term and my family went away without me. Our DC were quite young.
A couple of cases were dismissed but then the big one and I was called.
It was attempted murder and very shocking for me. Quite an education!
We 15 jurors had our lunch together in a very private room with only the other jurors from the next courtroom. Some of them were in tears. I didn't know at the time but it turned out to be a horrible murder trial involving children. I'm glad I wasn't on that one.
I used to speak to my DH on the phone in the evenings but coming home to an empty house was grim.
The verdict was not proven which is only in Scotland.
In answer to your question. It seems to be random. None of my family have done it - yet.

I have never been called for jury service nor was my husband. We assumed it was because of our foreign surname. But I worked for the NHS and one day there was a legal case concerning a possible accident or suicide (elderly man found dead on a railway track) and it was similar to jury service, as they required people to decide on the verdict. Twelve of the staff who were not needed for medical service such as doctors and nurses, were selected, mainly office workers. We had to listen to the case and hear the witnesses, and then we went into a separate room to deliberate. Before we left to deliberate the man in charge of the case (coroner?) told us that a verdict of accident would be best as it was not only most likely, as the man had been looking forward to his daughter's arrival by train that day, but would also be a relief to the man's family. So after a short deliberation we returned a verdict of accident. It was interesting and the nearest I would ever get to a real jury.

I don't think it should be random. Since the whole original idea of a jury is so that a person will be judged by their peers - ie their equals, someone who will understand them, I think when someone of a particular culture or background is on trial the jury should be picked so as to ensure there are at least 3 members with that same background. So picking someone who has only been british a short time would be the best thing, in the case of trying someone who isn't british by culture.

I've never been called and believe I am now age exempted. I am delighted not to have been selected particularly to something major. Some experiences I can really do without.

Yes you are randomly selected from the central register of the electoral roll. My husband and daughter have both been called to do it a few years apart from each other. My daughter was quite excited and would love to be called again. My husband was less keen and glad when it was over. My father also did it when I still lived at home while I was still single, and my sisters and me were very intrigued as he said it could not be discussed so don't ask. I believe you have to have lived in the UK for at least five years before you can do jury service.

I always wanted to do jury duty but was never called. Only know 2 people who have served, one a a close friend. The other was an acquaintance who served on the jury for the first Russell Bishop trial in 1986. He said it was an awful experience. I don't know if he is still around to know that Russell Bishop was found guilty last year of the 1986 murders of the 2 little girls in Brighton.

My Son was called the day after his 18th birthday and again the day after his 21st. The 1st case was a high profile case with jurors having to be 'cared' for, due to intimidation. As his Mother I was really concerned, but he took it in his stride.
My Mother was called aged about 50, and a fellow juror was fined with contempt, for arriving late back from lunch.
Not sure I'd like to be called.