Jury Service

The very day of my 22nd birthday, I received a letter in the post from HRH. No, there was no mix up, and no I wasn't turning 100. At first my heart dropped as I thought I was getting a speeding ticket or something, but on opening the letter I soon discovered that I was being summoned for my duty as a jury member. Not only that, but I was going to the Old Bailey.

For those who are unaware, the Old Bailey is a court for some of the more serious cases in the country, seeing cases such as Jack the Ripper and the Kray Twins under its roof. While it was a little irritating that I hadn't been sent to a court more local, the hour's commute to central London was definitely worth being inside such a historic, famous court.

Having to arrive at 8 am on the first day meant I had to be prepared. I had no idea what to expect from jury service; I had been told by many that it involved a lot of waiting around and not doing very much. While I was able to finish an entire book during the course of my jury service, I didn't have to do very much waiting around at all!

Arriving on a Monday morning, my time as a member of a jury/waiting juror ended on Tuesday evening. The Old Bailey had requested over 170 jury members that week, which was far more than they had expected to arrive. However, I was at least lucky enough to be made a juror on a case, rather than sit around for two days.

I'm still unsure as to how much I am allowed to talk about in regards to the actual case (I think it's fine, but just in case!) so I won't go into detail. What is important to know if you are unsure if you are capable of being on a jury is that the entire case is directed towards the jury, ensuring you understand every detail of the case and what your decision involves. You don't have to have knowledge of the law, as what is important is outlined for you. If the judge feels the defendant or prosecutor is influencing you too much, they will say so. The judge on my case was so diligent in this that we were called back into court after we had been sent to deliberate, so that the judge could rephrase one word he felt had been too misleading.

The other jurors were a diverse group, ranging from a very opinionated working class middle aged man, to a psychology student, to an actual lawyer, as well as housewives and teachers. We were in the deliberation room for about 3 hours debating whether the defendant was guilty or not, before reaching a verdict. We were provided with water and toilets, but were locked in the room, with our phones/laptops etc. locked away from us. If anyone wanted to leave, we would have all had to have gone with them, and kept away from the rest of the courthouse. On reaching a verdict, we were to press the button for the bailiff, who would deliver a written verdict to the judge, before we were called back into the courtroom to announce said verdict.

I am a little disappointed that my jury service was so short as after becoming used to the commute and knowing what was expected of me, I found the experience fascinating. Even though the case I sat on was not particularly ground-breaking, it was still interesting to find out how it all worked. Even just having the chance to speak to other members of the jury, who I may never have had the opportunity to speak to otherwise, was an experience. I'm actually hoping I get called up again soon!