Reply to: Your day in court

[threaded]

Wasn't the jury at Socrates trial paid? The jury basically consisted of several hundred old people with jam and moneys with raxor blades...

[WageSlave]

mmmm....wrinkly Helen Mirren in a hat....lovely

[Lucifer Box]

Just in case some of you haven't woken up yet, these WI lovelies should blow away a few cobwebs...

[WageSlave]

Or maybe something that likes jam.

Unless it's ant jam.

I reckon aardvarks would go nuts over a bit of jam. For centuries they've been sniffing around Africa existing on ants. Bit of jam would make a refreshing change. The lovely ladies of the local WI could provide the jam and a nice cup of tea brewed from old donkey knackers.

[hyperD]

Or toe jam. Ewwwwwwww...

[wendigo100]

If not, he is covered in jam and eaten alive by a pack of hungry aardvarks.

Or maybe something that likes jam.

Unless it's ant jam.

[WageSlave]

I think we should abandon the idea of jury service as it's unfair on the hard working tax payers of this country. Instead, they should give free cider to tramps and razor blades to monkeys. The defendant is allowed to choose which side represents him and then the monkeys and tramps fight each other.
If the defendant's choice wins the fight, he walks free. If not, he is covered in jam and eaten alive by a pack of hungry aardvarks.

[Lucifer Box]

Well, I think it should be changed to make sure juros don't think about money they did not earn during process -- this is not good for justice.

Perhaps give them all an amnesia drug at the end of the trial?

[AtW]

The blurb you get when summoned explains that it is your civic duty ("the most important thing any citizen can be required to do", it says) and that the reward of serving your Queen and country is reward enough.

Well, I think it should be changed to make sure juros don't think about money they did not earn during process -- this is not good for justice.

[OwlHoot]

stop whining and be happy that fellow citizens have control over justice system.

I am happy - I was only whining about the fact that long cases make jury service unpopular and thus discredit it in some peoples' eyes (which is what the Government would very much like, as they're itching to abolish it).

[Lucifer Box]

I suppose you have a point Lucifer, it is a tad suprising the law does not prevent employer from sacking you, I think this should be changed -- and lost earnings should be returned in form of tax credit for that amount.

You have a point also, Alexei, in that your chances of ending up on a three year fraud case or having to deal with dangerous gangsters threatening to "sort you out afterwards" from the dock are low, but for those it happens to it is a living nightmare for which they get no reward or thanks, and from which they may never recover. The blurb you get when summoned explains that it is your civic duty ("the most important thing any citizen can be required to do", it says) and that the reward of serving your Queen and country is reward enough.

[AtW]

I suppose you have a point Lucifer, it is a tad suprising the law does not prevent employer from sacking you, I think this should be changed -- and lost earnings should be returned in form of tax credit for that amount.

[Lucifer Box]

You can always plead insanity to escape jury duty.

It's what I do.

Worked every time so far...

I thought you just ate the judge?

[Lucifer Box]

Well, as a juror you will be able to have your say over this, right? I mean its you who will say the guy is guilty or not.

And also I don't buy your notion of extremely long cases -- even major national scale stuff takes weeks, not years. I don't know the frequency of juror's callup, but if it costs to you few weeks every few years then its not a problem, so stop whining and be happy that fellow citizens have control over justice system.

That's all fine and well as long as you don't end up on a three year fraud case (e.g. Guinness) and end up losing your job and all prospect of future employment, or on a dangerous gangster trial and end up having to flee the country and change your identity. I remember a documentary a few years ago called "Jury Service Destroyed My Life" or somesuch that was full of such examples.

Remember, Alexei, your employer is not obliged to pay you while you do jury service or even keep your job open for you - they are quite entitled to sack you. If your employer refuses to pay you, you can claim a daily allowance of about £20 from the state. If you are self-employed or are otherwise a one man band, you could go bankrupt (and that is not one of the excuses you can use unfortunately).

[WageSlave]

The Crown Prosecution Service is an example in miniature of what happens when civil servants make decisions whether to prosecute - Before Edward Heath set it up in the 1970s, the UK had Grand Juries (as they still do in the US) to decide whether there was a case to answer. Only if the Grand Jury returned a true bill [of indictment] would a case come to court before a petty jury (i.e. the kind of jury we still have today).

CPS, truly scary trolls. I had a lot of dealings with them when I worked at the Home Office. Ugliest and most stupid people outside of Wales.