Jury Service

I have been called for jury service. I have no holidays left and I’m needed in work. Do I have to go?

Question

I have been called for jury service. I have no holidays left and I’m needed in work. Do I have to go?

Answer

The County Registrar or the trial judge may excuse you from jury service if he or she is satisfied that there is “good reason” for doing so. Some people are not eligible for jury service at all (these include people involved in the administration of justice such as gardaí, solicitors and prison officers) and others are “excusable by right”. This means that if they do not wish to do jury service they do not have to. This group includes anyone aged over 65, religious ministers, people who provide a community service (doctors and nurses), school teachers and some public servants. However if you do not have a good reason (such as illness) and you do not fall into one of the groups excusable by right you are obliged to do jury service.

You do not need to take leave from work to do jury service. If you are in employment, the Juries Act 1976 (Section 29) places a duty on your employer to allow you attend for jury service. Time spent on jury service is to be treated as if you were actually employed. In other words, if you are in employment and are attending for jury service, you are entitled to be paid while you are away from work. There should also be no loss of any other employment rights while you serve on a jury (so you should be paid for public holidays and accumulate annual leave as usual). The Jury Office will provide a certificate of attendance on request.

There is no payment for jury service. Travelling expenses are not allowed. If you are actually serving as a juror, lunch will be provided on the day or days that the trial is at hearing.

If you feel your employment rights have been infringed or you have lost employment rights while serving on a jury, you can make a complaint to a Rights Commissioner.

Further information is available from the Citizens Information Centre below.