Summoned for Jury Duty. What should I expect?

TK Lemon

I have been summoned to one of the criminal courts and I am just wondering what to expect. I just have a few questions if anyone has experience of it.

What should I wear? Is there a dress code?

Will I have my pay reimbursed that I am missing from work or are work obliged to pay me in my absence?

Will food be provided at the place to suit all tastes or will it just be cheap sandwiches?

Is there a chance of being sequestered in the criminal courts of justice? What type of cases are heard here?

wench

There is no dress code, just try to look normal.

Your job must pay you.

Day 1 you may get sambos, but the rest of the time there is a choice of 3 options, and they will try to accommodate any allergies.

I don't think they sequester juries any more.

hullaballoo

There is no formal dress code but show the court a bit of respect and dress for the occasion so to speak. People involved in court cases are facing serious issues so showing up in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt is probably not a great call.

On the other hand, you've a reasonably decent prospect of being objected to if you wear a suit, shirt and tie because it will be presumed you are likely to convict.

Unlike the US, where both prosecution and defence lawyers get to interview the prospective jurors, here, it's done on appearances only. So, depending on what you're objective is, you may find you can dress to either be selected or not.

thenightman

No dress code. Just don't wear a tracksuit/football jersey etc.

You'll walk through airport style security at the entrance to the building and be brought into jury area by jury minders. Will be free tea/coffee provided. They'll take attendance and then start picking jurors for cases. If you don't get picked for a case you'll usually be let go by lunchtime at the latest.

Lots of info here:

http://www.courts.ie/courts.ie/library3.nsf/pagecurrent/58D1622F4C8923EB80258010005635DF?opendocument&l=en

L1011

Last reference to sequestering happening in Ireland I can find is from 12 years ago - its so rare I wasn't even aware it was possible here.

I sort-of want to actually do jury duty, but have an occupation I think would prejudice me ever being considered unbiased (media organisation with a newsroom) and also Kildare has a fairly limited Circuit list for the population of the county so I know very few people who have even been called.

Atlantic Dawn

I found it a worthwhile experience and wouldn't mind doing it again. Most home insurance policies will have a payment per day you receive for your time on a jury, look in to it, Axa give you €20 a day...
https://www.axa.ie/help/question/does-home-insurance-cover-jury-service/


Good bits
Very interesting insight in to the workings of law.
Food is very nice.
Time off work can be a nice distraction for a few days or weeks.

Bad bits
When you leave the court you are out in the general population, you could be literally on the same LUAS or bus as those directly involved in the court case.
The jury can be asked to leave the court multiple times during the day where arguements can be made as to what evidence the jury is allowed take in to account, this can be mindnumbingly boring waiting around.
You might not get picked for the jury but have to go in for I think the first 3 or 4 days until they fill their quote of jurors for the case.
Some of your fellow jurors can be bellends and not of a sufficient knowledge base to be deciding anything beyond what colour socks they should be wearing.
Case I had was fairly tame, I wouldn't like to be doing a serious assault or abuse case.


I'd recommend beforehand you take a visit in to the court and sit in the public gallery, for most cases anyone can just walk in and observe, will give you an idea what to expect.

Effects

What's your level of education? You'll be objected to if you have a third level education.

Witcher

Effects wrote: »

What's your level of education? You'll be objected to if you have a third level education.

They won't know that....

antix80

Witcher wrote: »

They won't know that....

They will if you wear graduation garb.

endainoz

By the looks of it you have only been called for selection, you might not get picked for the actual jury. Most people like to find a way out of it if they do get called up, but if you'd like to take part, more power to you.

L1011

antix80 wrote: »

They will if you wear graduation garb.

I'm pretty sure that not returning the mortarboard would have incurred quite a hefty credit card fine in my case!

TK Lemon

endainoz wrote: »

By the looks of it you have only been called for selection, you might not get picked for the actual jury. Most people like to find a way out of it if they do get called up, but if you'd like to take part, more power to you.

Yes, I’ve only been called for selection.

Peregrinus

Effects wrote: »

What's your level of education? You'll be objected to if you have a third level education.

As others have pointed out, they won't know. But, even if they did know, you will not be objected to on this basis. There is no stereoptype about university graduates that would lead to objections to their serving as jurors.

lawrencesummers

Attending court is one of the most entertaining things you can do for free in Ireland.

Try to keep track of what’s happening and you will get to see first hand what a complete joke the justice system in Ireland is.

Dress like a scumbag and you might get objected to if your number comes up.

There is always some self riotous man on a mission type that has watched to many movies and wants to be the head juror, they are fun to watch.

Best of luck trying to be impartial when you see some of the scum that are in court with 50+’previous convictions while a smart lawyer does his best to get them off on some technicality.

Quantum Erasure

what happens if you just ignore a jury summons? asking for a friend...

GBX

Quantum Erasure wrote: »

what happens if you just ignore a jury summons? asking for a friend...

http://www.courts.ie/Courts.ie/Library3.nsf/pagecurrent/142B164CF1204B8C8025801000523400?opendocument&l=en

Failure to attend and other offences.
The following offences are punishable by fines:
» Failing to attend for jury service without reasonable excuse, or not being available when called upon to serve as a juror or being unfit for service by reason of drink and drugs.

» Making or causing to be made on your behalf false representations.

» Serving on a jury knowing you are ineligible or disqualified.

» Giving false or misleading answers to the presiding judge regarding your qualification for jury service.

» Making or causing to be made on behalf of a person summoned as a juror any false representation to enable him or her to evade jury service.

The full text of these offences are set down in Part V of the Juries Act, 1976 as amended by Part 6 Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2008.

John DoeReMi

I was called once in my twenties and have never been called since (I'm now in my fifties). Which I find odd as I've always been registered to vote. Isn't the electoral register how they pick potential jurors?

Peregrinus

John DoeReMi wrote: »

I was called once in my twenties and have never been called since (I'm now in my fifties). Which I find odd as I've always been registered to vote. Isn't the electoral register how they pick potential jurors?

Yes, but many people on the register will go their entire lives without ever being called to jury service. The number of jurors required is a tiny fraction of the number of names on the register, and names are drawn from the register at random. Having been called once, you've already been called an above-average number of times.

antix80

Quantum Erasure wrote: »

what happens if you just ignore a jury summons? asking for a friend...

Prosecution resulting in fine of up to €500. Prosecution is rare as it requires a court clerk or court representative to be present. It usually only happens when directed by a judge.

TK Lemon

Do they select the potential jurors alphabetically or?

Three of us from the same house got a letter to attend within September already. :P

Mundo7976

Been called three times, only attended once, got called up and was rejected before i even entered the box.
I was bored silly for the week and it aint cheap travelling to Dublin city centre.

hedzball

I was called up this January.. theres about 300 people called so the odds of your name being one of the 19 called is here nor there.

I on the other hand was first called out..

I wore jeans and a jumper (line up ladies)

You go in and the council eye you up and down. They turned away a few people dressed in hoodies and trackies.

The judge asks whether you can be around for the duration of the trial or not. You're sworn in and thats that.

I got to listen to Margaret Bolster who imo is one of the most amazing women in Ireland.

I was there for 11 days in total. Same restaurant every day with about 7 things on the menu. All paid for bar a bottle of coke one day.

11 days waa tedious. It was a murder trial.

Iirc the mr moonlight case was 13 weeks long.

RacoonQueen

hedzball wrote: »

Iirc the mr moonlight case was 13 weeks long.

I'm up for selection next week, was wondering how long this case was as everyone keeps patronisingly telling me the cases are very short but there are a number of cases like this that were not. I wouldn't mind serving on a jury for a couple of weeks, nice break from the office but anything that long would be tough going. I'd probably have been replaced by the time I get back to work. :pac:

Peregrinus

Cases that last longer than "a couple of weeks" are extremely rare, and most are much shorter than that - a day, two days, maybe three.

You've no way of knowing, until you are actually selected for a particular case, how long the case might be. If it looks like being a long case they will filter the potential jurors so as to exclude anyone who might not be in a position to stay the course. But "I don't want to serve on a long case" probably wouldn't be enough to get you out of it; there'd need to be a concrete reason why you couldn't.

TK Lemon

Hi everyone, thanks for your replies!

I completed my jury duty this week, and I was chosen for a case but was challenged!

I found the whole process interesting. I had to walk airport style security walking in.

Are criminal cases in The Criminal Courts, Parkgate Street viewable for the public, or does it depend on each case?

Mr Lemon and I would be interested to see a court case in action!