What to do with your jury summons
This page explains what to do if you receive a summons for jury service in the post.
Why have I been summoned?
Your name has been chosen at random from the electoral register. Most people eligible to vote in the UK will be asked to do jury service at some point in their lives. It is an important contribution to our society and justice system.
How do I fill in the form?
Keep page 1 and 2 safely - this is your Summons which tells you when and where you need to attend court. Fill in the Reply to Jury Summons form on pages 3 and 4 and send it back to us. The booklet guides you through completing the form.
Part 1 is about your personal details.
Part 2 asks if you are qualified to serve as a juror. To be qualified you must:
- be aged between 18 and 75 on the start date of your service
- be registered to vote in the UK
- have lived in the UK for at least five years after your thirteenth birthday
People are not qualified to be jurors if:
- they are on bail
- they have been to prison or been subject to a community order within the last 10 years
- they have ever been given a prison sentence of 5 years or longer
- they are in hospital or under a community treatment order for mental health treatment
- they do not have mental capacity.
If you are qualified, but want to be excused from jury service, say why in Part 3. Explain as fully as you can and say whether you want to be excused permanently or just delay your service to a later date.
Fill in Part 4 to let us know about any adaptations you need to make jury service accessible for you. We will phone you to discuss how we can meet your needs.
Sign the declaration in Part 5.
Return the form using the pre-paid envelope, within 7 days of receiving the form.
What will happen next?
The Coroners Service Manager will check your form and decide one of three things
- You may be accepted on to the jury.
- You may have your service deferred (put off) to a later date.
- You may be excused from jury service.
You will receive a letter with the decision within 10 days of returning your form. If we have questions about what you have put on the form, we will phone you to discuss it.
What happens if I don't reply?
If you do not reply, the Coroner has the power to have you brought to court by the Police and fined: it is very important that you reply to the summons and give true information.
If you are away or on holiday when the form arrives, or if you have some other good reason for not replying straight away, just complete and return the form to us as soon as you can.