A few questions about Jury Duty

GarIT

I received a summons for Jury duty to the house but my name is severely misspelled, it seems like a small child typed up the letter, it's clearly my name but because there are 6 spelling mistakes in it is that enough to get off going?

The letter I got has a list of people that can be excused:

Whole-time students and any member of the teaching staff if the principal certifies that the staff member concerned performs essential services in the institution that cannot be reasonable be performed by another or postponed

I'm a full time student, does that mean I can get off even if it is during the summer? Do I need a letter from the principal or is that just for teachers?

What happens if you just can't afford to go? Taxi's to and from the court will cost me €80 total per day and there is no public transport as such, in theory I could go to Dublin and then out but it would take 3+ hours each way. I don't even know if I'll manage to afford food for the summer, the grant is only for 9 months of the year and I'm not entitled to social welfare payments as I'm a student, I'm living off €50 per week max so I can't afford to do this.

coylemj

GarIT wrote: »

I received a summons for Jury duty to the house but my name is severely misspelled, it seems like a small child typed up the letter, it's clearly my name but because there are 6 spelling mistakes in it is that enough to get off going?

The names are taken from the electoral register, are you sure you filled out the form (to be on the register) properly last time you did?

GarIT wrote: »

The letter I got has a list of people that can be excused: I'm a full time student, does that mean I can get off even if it is during the summer? Do I need a letter from the principal or is that just for teachers?

From the wording you quoted, the letter from the principal is only required for staff - presumably so that people not involved with lectures or research can't get off just because they work in a educational institute.

Write to them and say you're doing postgrad research through the summer.

GarIT

I think my name was messed up on the register originally but that was 3+ years ago it's been fixed since.

I don't wanna lie, they are very assertive with listing all their fines for lying.

I might just say I'm a full time student and can't afford to go and see what they say back.

Ken.

How are you getting summoned to a court so far away?.

GarIT

ken wrote: »

How are you getting summoned to a court so far away?.

It's only about a 40 min drive away, opposite side of the county, but I don't drive and there's no direct public transport, I'd have to get a bus to Dublin and back out.

Ken.

That's still a fair distance. Did the letter by chance go to your parents house and you live elsewhere. You could get off if you say and prove you live to far away.

GarIT

ken wrote: »

That's still a fair distance. Did the letter by chance go to your parents house and you live elsewhere. You could get off if you say and prove you live to far away.

Nope, It was sent to me. I'm just really unlucky with borders.

Pat Mustard

GarIT wrote: »

I'm a full time student, does that mean I can get off even if it is during the summer? Do I need a letter from the principal or is that just for teachers?

It doesn't say anything about summer time in the act.
http://www.courts.ie/Courts.ie/Library3.nsf/%28WebFiles%29/FA4DA65A42DA9CD6802570440034EC30/$FILE/Juries%20Act,%201976.pdf

Link

Those who are excused as of right.

The following persons may be excused as of right from jury service:
» Persons aged 65 and upwards.
» Members of either House of the Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament), members of the Council of State, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Clerks of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann, a person in Holy Orders, a minister of any religious denomination or community, members of monasteries and convents, aircraft pilots, full-time students and ships' masters.
» Those who provide an important community service including practising doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, vets and chemists.
» The following persons if it certified that their functions cannot be performed by another person or postponed; members of staff of either House of the Oireachtas, Heads of Government Departments, other civil servants, chief executive officers and employees of local authorities, health boards and harbour authorities, school teachers and university lecturers.
» Those who have served on a jury within the last three years or who have been excused by a judge at the conclusion of a previous period of service for a period that has not ended.

goz83

You are a student, so you can get out of it. No need to lie at all. Summer time is irrelevant, as you could be and should be studying.

GoodLord

coylemj wrote: »

The names are taken from the electoral register,

Always? so if someone was not on the electoral register they could never get called?

Del2005

The Mustard wrote: »

It doesn't say anything about summer time in the act.
http://www.courts.ie/Courts.ie/Library3.nsf/%28WebFiles%29/FA4DA65A42DA9CD6802570440034EC30/$FILE/Juries%20Act,%201976.pdf

Link

Why are full time students excused? They can attend the same as everyone else once they aren't around exam time. It costs more for people to be taken out of work than a student out of college.

GoodLord wrote: »

Always? so if someone was not on the electoral register they could never get called?

Yep.

GarIT

Del2005 wrote: »

Why are full time students excused? They can attend the same as everyone else once they aren't around exam time. It costs more for people to be taken out of work than a student out of college.



Yep.

Students have continuous assessment so could be loosing marks there. They also have practical's and coursework that is only ever done once so missing it would give them an unfair disadvantage.

Pat Mustard

Del2005 wrote: »

Why are full time students excused? They can attend the same as everyone else once they aren't around exam time. It costs more for people to be taken out of work than a student out of college.

The legal reason is that the legislation specifically provides for this.

However, I presume that your question is as to the intent of the legislation in this regard. Your educated guess as to the perceived importance of education is as good as mine, I suppose. If you are really interested in the answer, you could check out the bill on the irish statute book site (not the act) and read the explanatory memorandum at the back, which often gives the reasons for the way legislation is framed.

Annie333

goz83 wrote: »

You are a student, so you can get out of it. No need to lie at all. Summer time is irrelevant, as you could be and should be studying.

What do you mean ''should be''?

Pingy

Annie333 wrote: »

What do you mean ''should be''?

You're still a schoolkid.

Annie333

Pingy wrote: »

You're still a schoolkid.

I don't fully understand the suggestion. I'm studying an excruciatingly difficult course at university, which requires constant study during the year. I see Summer as having a break, to recharge the batteries and perhaps get a bit of work experience.

hullaballoo

Annie333 wrote: »

I don't fully understand the suggestion. I'm studying an excruciatingly difficult course at university, which requires constant study during the year. I see Summer as having a break, to recharge the batteries and perhaps get a bit of work experience.

I think the person who said you "should be" studying was being a little facetious. Technically, the summer break is to be used by students for revision/study. Of course, this is not the case and no one really expects students to study over the summer.

It's just a way for academics to justify the 2-3 month holiday in the middle of the year that only ever historically existed to allow landed gentry time to attend their lands in advance of the harvest in late summer.

Nowadays, students are free to build on other important aspects of their lives throughout the summer, as well as having a break. I used my holidays to earn money to fund my education by working in bars, while also building on contacts etc. to try to help my career.

Grolschevik

hullaballoo wrote: »

It's just a way for academics to justify the 2-3 month holiday in the middle of the year that only ever historically existed to allow landed gentry time to attend their lands in advance of the harvest in late summer.

Ah now! While there may be historical reasons as to why universities (and the courts!) adopted the traditional term system, the summer is when most teaching academics get a chance to focus on their research.

Not sure why it's still a thing in the courts or indeed primary/secondary school, though...

hullaballoo

Yes, sorry, I thought my post might have been picked up that way but I was posting from a phone and couldn't be bothered changing it. I'm not having a go at the summer holidays for academics or students at all. I don't think lecturers etc actually get that much time off at all between correcting exams, research and writing. I doubt they get more than a couple of weeks, if even.

I just mean that the break is officially study leave for students. Study is the last thing I would expect a full time student to do during this period excepting repeats or theses. That said, it is sensible to put the time to good use.

This is all by way of an aside, since the OP is asking about jury duty but it is relevant that you are considered to be a full-time student even during the summer holidays.