How jury service works

If you get a jury summons in the post, you must respond within 7 days and confirm if you can attend.

Your name was chosen randomly from the electoral register.

You’ll be part of a jury of 12 people to decide the outcome of a criminal trial.

You can watch a video about jury service. There’s also a Welsh language version of the video.

There are different rules for jury service in Scotland and jury service in Northern Ireland.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

Jury service and coronavirus (COVID-19)

If you’ve received a jury summons, you need to attend on the day you’ve been summoned or instructed to.

Tell the court if you feel unwell, or have symptoms of COVID-19 or another respiratory infection.

Read more about the measures in place when going to a court or doing jury service.

How long jury service lasts

Jury service usually lasts up to 10 working days.

If the trial is likely to last longer than 10 days, jury staff will let you know. If the trial is shorter than 10 days, you may be asked to be a juror on other trials.

You’ll usually need to be at court from 10am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday, but times can vary.

You’ll need to arrive at court earlier on your first day. Check your summons letter for the exact time.

What you can claim

You will not be paid for doing jury service, but you can claim some money back if you lose earnings. You can also claim some expenses, for example travel.

Find out what you can claim: