Bloody jury duty

[BrilloPad]

I think they should have professional jurors.

And bigger cases could be decided by putting the case on TV and letting the viewers phone in and vote......

[AtW]

AIUI They assume the jury have nothing better to do.

No - the assumption here is that people who are on the jury would also want to have due process applied to them (should they ever face jury trial) without any "streamlining".

Having said that compensation for jury service should be higher - it is important function for a decently run country and Govt should save money on avoiding unnecessary trials, rather than on getting cheap juries.

[vetran]

Streamline it

Jury service needed but surely both sides could deal with the non contended facts ahead of time and produce a brief for the jurors any adjustment of charges being done beforehand. Only the contentious points could be discussed in court.

AIUI They assume the jury have nothing better to do.

[OwlHoot]

Yes they do it in order to avoid jury convicting their client because the jury is hungry or annoyned to have missed Eastenders.

Personally I think people who don't understand the importance of jury service (and by that I mean making all necessary sacrifices) should be disqualified straight away, it should be possible to opt out, however those who do so should automatically opt out from this sort of justice system and, should their time come, get judged by a single judge, without those aweful defence lawyers and of course without jury.

That's not a bad idea.

Also, I suggest that payments for briefs should be on a sliding scale - a daily downward slide, although the percentage decrement would have to be based on the complexity of the trial somehow. That would soon get them moving.

Also, for multiple serious crimes there should be a return to specimen charges. On conviction the police, by agreement with the court in view of the evidence, could list any other crimes believed to have been committed by the perp, and confirm that they aren't seeking anyone else in connection with these.

[jmo21]

Yes they do it in order to avoid jury convicting their client because the jury is hungry or annoyned to have missed Eastenders.

Personally I think people who don't understand the importance of jury service (and by that I mean making all necessary sacrifices) should be disqualified straight away, it should be possible to opt out, however those who do so should automatically opt out from this sort of justice system and, should their time come, get judged by a single judge, without those aweful defence lawyers and of course without jury.

the russian rain man makes an interesting point!

[AtW]

The courts keep "gentlemen's hours" as it is but still the defence lawyers jumped on every opportunity to suggest to the Judge that they should "not keep the jury from their lunch" or "not detain the jury any further today".

Yes they do it in order to avoid jury convicting their client because the jury is hungry or annoyned to have missed Eastenders.

Personally I think people who don't understand the importance of jury service (and by that I mean making all necessary sacrifices) should be disqualified straight away, it should be possible to opt out, however those who do so should automatically opt out from this sort of justice system and, should their time come, get judged by a single judge, without those aweful defence lawyers and of course without jury.

[Paddy]

next week will see the start of my 4th week... This was supposed to be a 5 day case.

the amount of arsing around that goes on in there is unbelieveable!

We should be allowed to judge the case with a sort of iPlayer facility and vote via the Internet.

[scooby]

I've just finished mine and watched 12 Angry Men beforehand to get in character.

I agree with scooby though. Hours being spent in a glorified doctors waiting room just sitting around reading books. Me and a handful of other jurors managed to get excused for one case that was envisaged to take six weeks. When I finally got on a trial it was pretty interesting though.

I also got paid £3000 for the experience which I can heartily recommend. Thanks PCG Plus! What made it even sweeter was that I was "between contracts" at the time. Last year's accounts are all you need.

this is our situation... we've had so many points of law and even a change of defense barrister (dont blame him though, she was tulip!). There isnt just me losing money, there is a aircraft metal worker who woudl have been in Switzerland last week but instead lot a lot of money.

I also have PCG Plus, but only covers you for the first 10days up to a max of £3k less any payment from the court. I lost money each day for those 10 days, and now losing nearly £250pd for last week and whatever is left of this case Thats why i'm annoyed.

[Moscow Mule]

I turned up and did my duty. Unfortunately, I didn't get on a single case. Pretty disappointing really.

[Chugnut]

I've just finished mine and watched 12 Angry Men beforehand to get in character.

I agree with scooby though. Hours being spent in a glorified doctors waiting room just sitting around reading books. Me and a handful of other jurors managed to get excused for one case that was envisaged to take six weeks. When I finally got on a trial it was pretty interesting though.

I also got paid £3000 for the experience which I can heartily recommend. Thanks PCG Plus! What made it even sweeter was that I was "between contracts" at the time. Last year's accounts are all you need.

[Gonzo]

Would you have preferred to get yourself convicted in a few hours by a panel of 3 judges and executed the same day?

Maybe citizens should be allowed to opt out from jury duty, however by doing so they should also opt out from the justice system as it is in the West.

I do think that the Jury system is preferable to any alternative and wouldn't want to see it gone but I am sympathetic to the OP's complaint about the amount of delay that lawyers seek to introduce, from my own experience.

I sat through a case that was supposedly going to take five days. Thankfully it only took seven days and not four weeks although all the original charges were dropped on day four and replaced with new lesser charges that could have been dealt with by a magistrate.

The courts keep "gentlemen's hours" as it is but still the defence lawyers jumped on every opportunity to suggest to the Judge that they should "not keep the jury from their lunch" or "not detain the jury any further today".

[scooby]

Apparently if you sit in the jury box doing Su Doku's you can get off it.

Or wear a tee shirt with "Guilty as Sin" printed on it in big red letters, you'll be home in time for lunch.

the judge apolosed for the messing around today and offer us a dispensation so we would never be picked again! there is an up side to everything...

[moorfield]

next week will see the start of my 4th week... This was supposed to be a 5 day case.

Apparently if you sit in the jury box doing Su Doku's you can get off it.

Or wear a tee shirt with "Guilty as Sin" printed on it in big red letters, you'll be home in time for lunch.

[AtW]

the amount of arsing around that goes on in there is unbelieveable!

Would you have preferred to get yourself convicted in a few hours by a panel of 3 judges and executed the same day?

Maybe citizens should be allowed to opt out from jury duty, however by doing so they should also opt out from the justice system as it is in the West.

[scooby]

next week will see the start of my 4th week... This was supposed to be a 5 day case.

the amount of arsing around that goes on in there is unbelieveable!