Jury Service Expenses - Hope they track defendants more closely than jurors!

Talking of tying up loose ends … A couple of weeks ago, the cheque for travel expenses finally arrived for my May/June Jury Service.

Disappointing that the Courts Service sent it to my old address (that I moved out of 13 months ago). Particularly since I’d written to them notifying them of the address change before by Jury Service started—using Downpatrick Court’s email address as requested on their jury summons.
I suspect that no one reads the email account – as they haven’t acknowledged or replied to be emailed complaint!

Jury Service - not over yet!

Back and forward to Downpatrick Crown Court another couple of times this week. The jury panel numbers are shrinking - with only about one third of the panel attending on Monday - probably due to holidays.

Don't think anyone has asked to be excused to watch the World Cup yet! Though some with long-held tickets for the cricket at Stormont yesterday were excused.

Monday's jury selection experience was enhanced by the defence solicitors spilling water all over the ancient wooden table they're sitting at. Unlike the judge and the jury panel who have court stewards and jury keepers to look after us, the clumsy solicitors were left to run out to the toilet to get loo roll to mop up the flood.

Yet like a swan gliding down the river, the jury selection went ahead without any hesitation or delay. Don't think the judge even noticed the antics in front of him - he certainly didn't acknowledge them.

I've commented on jury selection before, and the procedure of solicitors shouting "Challenge" (defence) or "Standby" (prosecution - the Crown). On Monday, the solicitors didn't even have their lists of jury details open in front of them. Decisions were being made purely on the basis of appearance (clearly including gender) and not on home address or occupation.

Several juries were sworn in. One defence solicitor used up all 12 challenges (coincidence that they were nearly all objections to women jurors?) ... causing the judge to remind them half way through that although challenges can be made with no reason, they could feel free to justify with a reason if they so wished. They continued to challenge with no stated reason.

Also starting to notice procedural differences between judges. Probably because they don't get to sit and watch each other in action in the court, so a variety of patterns build up.

And despite the seriousness of some of the cases, there's a increasing levity amongst the jury panel - playing the lottery to see if their numbers get picked out of the box. Must be most disconcerting to be the defendant sitting in the dock watching the smiles from the jury panel above.

So with just over a quarter of the jury panel sitting on the hard benches in the gallery this morning, I should stand a fair chance of being called downstairs for appraisal by the beady eyes of the solicitors.

Must dig out that old Rumpole omnibus paperback ...

Update: This morning's defendant pleaded guilty to the charges - so the jury panel was sent home about 11.30am to return on Monday. (I'm off on holiday next week - so it'll be Monday 26th before I'm back in Downpatrick.)

On a jury - stopping, starting and then stopping for good.

Wednesday

The British Justice system may be admired the world over for its effectiveness, but it’ll not be for its efficiency. On a normal day, a NI Crown Court starts sitting at 10.30am, and finishes by 4.30pm, with an hour for lunch 1–2pm.

You’d assume that the time before and after court would be spent in preparation, sorting out the loose ends. You’d be wrong.

Despite starting on time, we spent just over half an hour in court during Wednesday. Up and down those stairs from the jury box to the jury room. A “legal 15 minutes” soon turns into an hour and fifteen minutes.

The judge assured us that he too had spent quite some time alone in his chambers during the morning while the legal teams tried to sort out various issues. We even managed to hear a little evidence before being sent home for the day just after 3pm: there was more legal discussion to be had in our absence.

Nice soup, sandwiches and ice cream at lunchtime.

Thursday

Unbelievably, we started on time - just after 10.30am. Hearing evidence as the defence cross examined the witness. Now I’m not too familiar with courts, but the quality of questioning was grim. Repeatedly asking the same question in ever more unclear ways, probably confusing the judge and jury, never mind the witness.

We finished early at lunchtime – as the judge had to return to Belfast to pass judgement on other cases. Though we agreed to brave the Downpatrick road works and start half an hour earlier at 10am on Friday morning.

Burger, chips and a lovel slice of apple pie with cream.

Friday

We’d all arrived by 10am, sitting waiting to be called down to the court and our uncomfortable seats in the jury box. Quarter past ten. Half ten. Eleven o’clock. Half eleven. There were some legal issues to be resolved, and the judge was retiring to his chambers to make his ruling.

Finally at noon we were called down. Due to an undisclosed legal issue, our jury was dismissed, and a new fresh one will be sworn in on Monday. Nine pages of notes wasted. One side of a story ingested and analysed, with the other half never to be explained. We’ll eventually hear the verdict of the next jury - assuming they make it through to the end of the case.

(No lunch - we all scarpered back to work/golf course.)

So back to court as part of the wider jury panel next week – I wonder will my number come up again before the end of June?

Trying Days in Downpatrick

Jury Service kicked back into life today after a slow start at the beginning of May (with a three week case that sent most of us in the 250-strong jury panel back to work while the remaining 12 did their work).

Today, we reconvened in Downpatrick (“historic Downpatrick” if this was a BBC news bulletin) for our jury panel.

After the jury panel roll call, the judge reminded us that making ourselves available to serve on a jury was one of the most important responsibilities of being a citizen. So the fourteen panellists who didn’t turn up to grace the court with their presence were fined £250. (That’s a big increase on the £25 that the absent received on the first day, but still short of maximum £1000 penalty.)

People seemed at lot more at ease with the whole jury service process today, dressed more casually and carrying newspapers. And there was a lot less fear about as some of us trooped downstairs to make our cases for days off etc from the court clerks. Given a decent reason backed up by letterhead, its straightforward to be excused for events and holidays outside of the court.

And so the tombola began. After a few minutes the clerk picked my number out, and with a few calls of “reject” and “standby” for those in the line ahead of me, I’ve ended up on a jury for a case starting tomorrow morning. The twelfth man. Sounds like the name of a film?

While I'll obviously not comment on the particulars of the case, I will continue to let you know of my adventures with the justice system.

The Courthouse isn’t anything special to look at, so I attach a picture of Down Cathedral instead, taken from the pavement outside the courts.

My Rumpole-esque Day in Court

Well over a year ago I got a letter warning me that I could be selected for Jury Service sometime this year. Then, just before Easter, I got the follow-up letter informing me to turn up this morning for six week’s Jury Service at Downpatrick Courthouse.

So along with 200 other lucky winners, I drove around the streets surrounding the courthouse in ever increasing circles to find a legal parking space. The car park adjacent to the courts holds 40 cars, while the next closest car park has a grand total of 20 spaces.

Finally parked about half a mile away, I trudged through the rain following a chain of brown envelope-carrying people up the hill to the courthouse, ready to do our civic duty.

From the letter and information provided, we all believed that we’d need to be available as a panel from which to randomly select juries to sit at this particular court for the next six weeks. That was quickly extended to eight weeks when we arrived.

Thank goodness some of the 250 strong jury panel had already got exception - as it was a tight squeeze. After a roll call - teachers, think about having a morning register of 200 people! - we had the option of asking to be exempted (either for the whole period, or for specific days). While the court clerk has discretion about straight-forward reasons, the judge himself deals with the more difficult (saying no to a majority of requests).

So all ready for the first case. Simple matter of calling 12 numbers out of a hat (well, a wooden box) and getting them sworn in. Maybe not. There were five defendants, plus the prosecutors, so plenty of opportunity to challenge potential jurors.

The first set of twelve yielded four jurors. Another round of bingo got twelve candidates downstairs, and another three sworn in. A third set. And eventually after a fourth round - just calling six this time - twelve jurors got past the solicitors and were sworn in, with a few standbys in reserve.

Some of the rejected jurors looked very disappointed when they came back upstairs. What criteria were being used in the cattle market? The solicitors just have the list of names, addresses and occupations of the jury panel to go on, along with what they see when the jurors step forward to be identified.

• The majority of women were rejected outright. About three were sworn in, mostly under 30.
• Under 25s tended to be rejected.
• As was anyone who looked over 60.

How often would the rest of us have to come back to Downpatrick to repeat this farce? I’m not sure John Mortimer ever made Rumpole so difficult to please when it came to the “ladies and gentlemen of the jury”.

Finally, the judge revealed that it would be a long trial, perhaps three to four weeks. So the rest of us are excused from making the trip to Downpatrick until the end of May … unless they write to us before then!

While I'll obviously not comment on any case I end up on the jury for - that would be illegal and in contempt of court - I will continue to let you know of my adventures with the justice system.