How Likely Is It To Be Called For Jury Service

Anyone on the electoral roll aged 18-seventy can exist summoned for jury service. It's a civic obligation. Simply what's information technology really like existence in i of 12 expert men and truthful in Crown court?

The first indication of the equality of all before the law is when I stride through the doors of the courtroom edifice. Jurymen and women, witnesses, defendants, barristers – we all plough out our pockets for the security team, placing mobile phones, keys, cash, etc, into plastic containers.

I and then footstep through the metal detector gate, triggering beeps and cherry lights. It'south the chewing gum packet. It e'er is.

I nowadays my photo ID, an aboriginal conditional driving licence. It passes muster, and then it's through the 18th century corridors and up the steps to the 2nd floor and the jury waiting room.

The jury is selected

It'southward 9.15am and 30 potential jurors are gathered to serve for the adjacent two weeks and maybe beyond.

We've already received a thorough whys-and-wherefores guide from HM Courts and Tribunals Service but undergo a detailed induction, including video presentation, anyway.

The Jury & Usher Manager explains the jury choice process – 18 names are picked at random and of those, 12 will be chosen to serve on a trial. We are advised on expenses claims and that during lunchbreaks we should non sit on the benches outside court as defendants tend to use them.

We are reminded (not for the last time) that nosotros are not to discuss the example with anyone outside the courtroom. This is not for reasons of confidentiality, after all the public gallery is open to all. It is to ensure that we are not influenced by outside opinion.

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Entering the courtroom

Induction over, the starting time 18 are called at ten.30am. My name is offset. Nosotros are head-counted by a young male usher (astonishing how a simple blackness gown lends dominance) and led in silence to the dorsum of the courtroom.

The primary protagonists are in situ – bewigged judge, counsel, one Crown Prosecution Service and ane each for the two defendants who already seated in the glass-walled dock. A court clerk sits in front end of the judge, stenographer to her left.

Again, my name is called first. Coincidence, I promise. I enter the compact jury box. Two rows of six fold-down seats. Nosotros are sworn in one by one, 6 men, six women (again, random, at to the lowest degree ten are of 'Saga historic period'). This is the only time any of united states volition speak in court, until the neverthelesshoped-for elected foreman delivers the verdict.

We are given the indictments against the accused, like all subsequent documents to be shared 1 between two jurors.

Opening remarks

The trial begins immediately with the CPS counsel'due south opening remarks. This is a harrowing case. From the start, we must put aside all considerations of the defendants' and witnesses appearance and demeanour. The case is to be judged solely on prove. It is the prosecution that must determine the defendants' guilt, non the defence to bear witness their innocence.

The gauge has put u.s. at our ease and takes time to explain the process to the jury throughout the trial. The proceedings have a natural stride to them.

Cross-examination of witnesses is gentle rather than aggressively confrontational, certainly by what we imagine from TV courtroom drama. If this is typical then courtroom coverage is not the TV 'natural' you lot might imagine it to exist. Information technology is methodical; it is procedural; it is interrupted by judicial points of police force where the jury retires to the deliberating room.

We tin can have notes simply they remain in courtroom throughout the trial until the jury retires to consider its verdict. The court twenty-four hours ends, for the jury, at 4pm. Nosotros get out through the deliberation room, no-one offering an opinion on case.

We return the next day and for the next seven working days the trial follows a pattern of courteous, rational cantankerous-test of witnesses and defendants alike. There are no 'I object!'due south, no raised voices from counsel. Questions are often put in rhetorical course, 'did you non', etc. Nothing is rushed.

At the start, the usher suggests that we could well be ready to deliberate over the case within nine days. Even with one solar day's adjournment while the judge attends to other cases, we detect ourselves well ahead and suddenly the CPS and defence counsels are making their final statements to the jury. If in that location is any fourth dimension in the case that there is any dramatic flourish, then this is it. The judge then sums up the evidence of the past six and a half days.

Deliberations begin

We are directed to the deliberation room to try to reach a verdict. The usher takes our mobile phones from us.

Fortunately we are unanimous in our choice of jury foreman, who must lead the discussion and stand in court to evangelize our verdict.

We are not allowed to leave the room until the day's end. We are unable to reach a decision.

The next day we go far with numberless of sweets, pretzels, sandwiches, in case of a long haul. What goes on in the deliberation room remains strictly confidential among the 12 jurors. Even later a verdict is delivered we cannot reveal what went on.

Reaching a verdict

After an afternoon and half a morn's deliberations we inform the judge that we cannot reach a unanimous verdict. We re-enter the courtroom where the guess says she will now have ten-2 majority verdicts. Nosotros return to the deliberation room.

By early afternoon we can reach a verdict on one accuse just. The judge summons united states of america back to the courtroom. The foreman gives our verdict. As we have been unable to achieve a verdict on the other 15 charges, the judge directs the CPS to consult as to whether they wish to have a retrial.

The jury is dismissed

The jury is thanked by the judge and nosotros are dismissed not from just this example but, as there are no other trials awaiting inside a realistic timeframe, from service birthday.

We render to the deliberation room to be escorted from the court building by the usher. All our notes are piled in the heart of the room to be bagged up and destroyed. Nosotros're asked but to tear our notes' pages from the spiral notebook so the books tin be used again. Economies everywhere.

Nosotros make our brief farewells to our fellow jurors - 'It'southward been a pleasure'. And despite the nature of the instance, it has been.

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