Jury Service

[APS]

I presume it's the same in most Countries you get called up for Jury service.
So who has done Jury service and did you enjoy it ?

 

[Evil Eye]

No such thing here, thankfully.

 

[Lonelylycan]

I would love to do it..
But my health doesn't permit.

 

[Jazzy]

I've done it and it's not a pleasant experience to go through. There was so much evidence against the guy (charged with assaulting his girlfriend) but also so much evidence that she was lying. Took four days to sort through everything and just as we were ready to give a non-guilty verdict, she admitted she lied.

The other thing that made it unpleasant, was I had to travel over an hour to the courthouse and it was located in a very run down and scary area to be walking alone.

Second time I was called up for it, I told them it hadn't been a year yet and go pick someone else, which they did.

 

[APS]

I've done it twice 20 years apart.
Found it fascinating most of the time.

 

[Ghoul]

Not happened for me yet.

 

[Mandy]

Thankfully I'm unable to do it. I'm a very indecisive person.

 

[Shortie861]

Not happened for me yet, not sure if I would be able to do it but may give it a try for the experience if I ever did.

 

[Kaunisto]

It's in several ways different in Finland. Shortly put, one can volunteer (assuming you don't have criminal record etc.), but you won't get called.

Here's how wikipedia explains it:

In Finland, two (previously and sometimes also today three) lay judges (lautamies, nominative pl. lautamiehet) are called in into serious or complicated cases in district courts, to accompany a professional, legally trained judge. The professional judge is the chairman of the panel, but otherwise the judges have equal rights. The aim is to introduce their "common sense of justice" into the process. Simpler cases are handled by one or three professional judges, and all Appeals Court, Supreme Court and administrative court judges are necessarily professional.

Lay judges are appointed by local municipal councils, in practice by negotiations between political parties, from volunteers. Each municipality elects a number of lay judges depending on its size, or two at minimum. The minimum qualifications are Finnish citizenship, full citizenship rights (i.e. may not be a dependent or in bankruptcy), 25–64 years of age when elected, and general suitability for the position. Lay judges must resign at the age of 68 at the latest. Officials of the judicial, law enforcement or corrections authorities, such as prosecutors, attorneys, policemen, distrainers or customs officers may not be elected as lay judges.

New legislation (2009) has limited the role of lay judges. They are employed only in serious criminal cases, which comprised 6% of cases in 2013. Instead, 29% of cases were handled in writing and 65% with a single professional judge. Almost all (>94%) cases concerning homicides, child molestations and vandalism are handled with lay judges. Formerly they always sat in for instance family law proceedings. On average, lay judges sit in session for 12 days a year, or 24 days at maximum.

 

[Bluezone777]

I never had to do it. The few times I was called they canceled my number so I didn't have to actually go there.

 

[South Of Heaven]

I haven't been called up yet.

 

[Webster]

I presume it's the same in most Countries you get called up for Jury service.
So who has done Jury service and did you enjoy it ?

I've not served on a trial jury...have served on a grand tour; put simply, grand juries are the legal world's equivalent to the 9th Circle of Dante's Hell...

 

[Nathan]

I haven't been called up yet. Thankfully.
Have heard interesting stories from my parents though

 

[Aura]

I did it several years ago, did enjoy it but wouldn't be able to do it now.