Know Your Rights: Jury service

Question

I have been called for jury service but I’m not sure if I can take the time off work. What are my employment rights if I attend for jury service?

Answer

If you are in employment, there is a duty on your employer to allow you to attend for jury service. Time spent on jury service must be treated as if you were actually employed. In other words, you are entitled to be paid while you are away from work. Anyone with a contract of employment (including temporary or contract workers) is entitled to be paid by the employer while on jury service.

There should be no loss of any other employment rights while you serve on a jury. The Jury Office of the court will provide a certificate of attendance on request.

If you are self-employed and work alone and your attendance at jury service may mean that you can’t earn a living, you may qualify to be excused from jury service. Contact the Jury Office for more information. The County Registrar or the trial judge may also excuse you if satisfied that there is good reason for doing so.

Some people have a right to be excused from jury service, including:

·         Full-time students

·         People who are 65 years of age or older

·         Those who provide an important community service, such as practising doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists, vets, chemists, etc.

·         People in certain official positions (for example, members of the Oireachtas)

·         Some public officials whose work can’t be postponed or done by others

·         Those who have served on a jury within the last three years, or who remain excused by a judge following previous service

If you serve on a jury and feel your employment rights have been infringed or you have lost employment rights as a result, you can make a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission using the online complaint form available on workplacerelations.ie. Read more about enforcing your employment rights on citizensinformation.ie.

Further information is available from the Citizens Information Centre below.

Know Your Rights has been compiled by Boyle Citizens Information Centre which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Tel: 0761 07 6330

Address: Elphin Street, Boyle, Co. Roscommon

Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service - 0761 07 4000