Jury Service

Well I've just finished my jury service... I'm sorry to see the end of it to be honest. Now it's back to my stressful day job trying to keep parts of bbc.co.uk online. What's doubly stressful is that I never knew I would be away for so long and it's at a critical time where I just couldn't afford to be away. Ah well, s**t happens.

It started with a letter about 2 months ago asking (ordering) me to do it. At first I thought I was being called in for a single trial probably only lasting a few days (not knowing how these things work). I accepted of course, anything else without a really valid reason is a criminal offence. The moment got closer and finally the night before, and after carefully reading the letter, I discovered it was for a full two weeks! It's also possible that you'll get called into more than one trial.

So I got in, and a lot of the first day involved sitting around waiting to be assigned to a trial. I very narrowly avoided a 4 week trial. Normally they call 15 people up and choose 12, this is to allow for any reasons why a particular person shouldn't be a part of that jury. In this case because of the length they called nearly 40 of us in - and people were given a chance to decline saying they had important things to do e.g. a pre-booked holiday, medical appointment. Oh boy were the excuses flying thick and fast. Some were accepted but some not. Luckily my name didn't get called so I shuffled back downstairs.

Finally I did get assigned to a trial involving a number of defendants, all with separate barristers and all having to go through interpreters. As it turns out what should have been a 3/4 day trial turned into two and a half weeks. Now a lot of people complain about jury service because they get assigned to a lousy trial. Of the two people I spoke to who actually did it, one was in a trial for a dog who bit a bailiff, the other was for some thugs having a fight in the street. I think I got lucky because mine turned out to be pretty interesting.

The two weeks came and went. Evidence was given, witnesses and defendants said what they had to say. It's pretty hard concentrating for 5 hours a day but this is obviously very important to the people being tried, and you just have to do your best. The decision you have to make can ruin somebody's life if you get it wrong so you do owe it to them.

The time came to give our verdicts. They'd locked us in a room and we'd carefully discussed them, after we went back in one guy (not me) stood up to deliver it. This is done with a few simple yes/no questions by the clerk of the court and not like the movies "We the jury find the defendant...". The clerk would ask 'Have you reached a verdict?", "Was it unanimous?", then for each person "Do you find X guilty or not guilty?" You could absolutely cut the tension in the air with a knife by that point. As each person's verdict was given, you could just sense their feelings as their lives were ruined or saved by what you'd just decided, one defendant was practically in tears. I have to admit I was feeling pretty emotional at that point. Judging by their reactions though I think we made the right choice. We certainly did according to the evidence but you still lie awake at night wondering about it. At least you share the burden with 11 other people which helps.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would recommend it to anybody if you approach it in the right frame of mind (and you don't get put on a thoroughly pointless or boring trial) It's an important part of being a citizen and feels good to perform a civic duty like this, helping the justice system to work in the way you think it should.