MaxonTreik said:
Has anyone done jury duty before? What was your experience like? Is there anything to keep in mind?
Answers from fellow Scots would be preferable due to some laws up here being a little different but answers from anyone who has experienced it are welcome.
I have. It's a lot of waiting around doing nothing, and then sitting in the court while the defendant decides if they don't like the look of you and wants to reject you from the jury (it's a selection of 12 from 15 in England. Probably the same in Scotland, I cba to check though) and then if you don't get selected it's a bunch more waiting around until you get sent home if there are no more cases for the day.
If you do get selected for a jury the experience can be anything from hilarious, to disappointment in your fellow human beings, to shocking, intimidating, or even so dull you may have trouble staying awake. I had to elbow an old guy sitting next to me in the jury box in the ribs to stop him falling asleep once. He thanked me for it too. Neither one of us wanted to have the judge angry at us!
The food available to buy in and around the court may be rubbish. Be prepared to take your own sandwiches if the food is terrible on the first day.
Be very careful who you talk to around the court buildings. The person who you meet in the corridor or over the road in the pub who seems very nice may be one of the witnesses or even the defendant in the case you are a juror for. You can have simple conversations like giving directions to get from A to B but you must not say anything about the case and you must not let others say anything to you about it as it might end up with you in hot water with the judge.
What goes on in the jury room is mostly moaning about how bad the food is, moaning about the court being too hot, too cold, too airless, and a bunch of chatter about how you all have to act like you are doing things properly. XD Seriously though, do make the effort to read through any paperwork you are given and do stick to your guns if you know you are right when you are in the jury room discussions.
One last thing. Scotland has the 'Not Proven' verdict which England does not. There's no difference between the 'Not guilty' and 'Not proven' verdicts though. Literally. They have exactly the same results and legal consequences. If anyone in the jury room tries to tell you different then send a note via the court clerk asking the judge to explain it to the jury. Same goes for ANY point of law or any point of contention or matter where there may be a conflict between what the defendant or other juror believes the law or situation is and what the letter of the law actually is. You don't need to take anyone's word for anything like that, you can get the judge to explain.
Oh, and keep your fingers crossed you don't end up on a case that lasts for ages. After two weeks of jury duty most everyone has had enough of it. You'll probably see plenty of people trying to get out of it with all manner of excuses while you are there too. Judge for yourself what that says about everyday attitudes to justice.
