Clocking In

Day 3 of Jury Service -a day off!
Which gives me a chance to catch up on Day 1 -so here we go
Day 1.
Monday morning :Required to report at 09.00am. Head for St Paul's tube. Old Bailey is the name of the street where the Central Criminal Court ( to give it it's proper name) is sited -and a five minute walk from the tube station. You can't miss the jurors' entrance -the queue snakes back down the street.
The security is pretty tight. No one can go in and out without flashing their official summons form at all times. You file slowly past security reception 2 abreast, enter a cylindrical container ('wait for the green light'!) which opens on one side to admit you , pauses, then disgorges you on the other side (very 'beam me up scotty' ) then through the airport style scanners and you're in.

Ahead in the main ground floor reception is a first day jurors' information point. Barristers swish past, police, security men, cleaners, solicitors- it's all busy busy busy. I am in awe. Can't help feeling a sense of history and slightly overwhelming responsibility. If Southwark was Frinton Rep -this is the RSC.

Told to go to the 5th floor. (Given a security code that opens the doors.) Lifts packed with fellow first dayers all looking apprehensive,impassive or cool.

Arrive at 'Jury Assembly' -this is to be our home for the duration when not required in court.
Long queue to be issued with a swipe card programmed with our daily food and drink allowance -a fiver! Any thoughts of saving it up for a binge at the end of the week are quickly dispelled, it's preprogrammed every day -so use it or lose it.
It's a large room furnished with armchairs, sofas, and a food service/ eating area at one end. 3 large tv screens hanging over head -(it's 09.30 and Will & Grace is on...Channel 4 -the Bailey jurors' choice) ).
Find a seat -this is hard as the room is packed full of seasoned jurors and the new Monday intake.
When everyone is seated and settled it's roll call time for the newbies. Strange feeling of deja vu - it's just like the first day at school.
A portly gentleman in a black robe wearing a Madonna headset introduces himself as Mike the Jury Manager and fills us in on various bits of info -who's who, who we can ask if we have any problems etc etc and then we are shown The Video.
Actually -it's very informative and well presented by a girlie who I don't recognise but has that air of friendly newsreader authority about her.
The video takes us through what will happen from selection to court -and by the end of it one feels a little less daunted.
You can take a similar tour on the net if you want a taster from the juror's perspective. www.juror.cjsonline.org

Then it's wait around time. Having done it before I know there's going to be alot of this. Time to test the swipe card , grab a cuppa and get the paper out.
Every so often a court usher -all black robed and authoritative - reads a batch of names out with instructions to follow. Actually they could do with a bit of voice training as we all strain to hear -terrified we will miss our names.

2 weeks is the legal requirement for jury service but as the selection of a jury is random, and some cases may take longer -sometimes 30 or more potential jurors can be selected by computer and taken up to a court room . There the judge will tell you if the case is likely to run longer than 2 weeks and anyone who may have a problem with this can ask to be put back into the pool for possible selection to a shorter case. But only if the Judge decides. ( and it's My Lord or Lady here at the Bailey -as in 'M' Lud, or M' Lady'- not 'yer honour' ....!)

Me being me , I strike up one or two conversations. You soon find out who just wants to stick their nose in a book and who is relieved to share their impressions and concerns! Talk to a London cabbie. He is worrying about getting stuck on a long runner ( he's not the only one !) - and thinks he will have to work evenings and weekends to make up for the loss of earnings. (You are allowed to do this - just not allowed to discuss any case you are on)

If you are self employed you can claim loss of earnings up to £56.96 a full day but ONLY if you can prove you lost money on the day you were claiming for.

So it's a waiting game- until my name is called.