Summoned to jury service

Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service have become aware of malicious texts and emails about jury service. These have not been sent by Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service and you will always be summoned by post in the first instance.

Getting a jury summons

You will see a jury panel number in the top right corner of the jury summons. You should quote this jury panel number when writing to the jury management team.

• Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service - Customer Service Centre

A jury summons is only for the person named on it. It cannot be transferred to anyone else.

If you get a Jury Summons and  share the same name as someone in your household who is over 18 you must contact the Customer Service Centre to confirm who is the correct addressee of the Summons.

If your circumstances have changed since you received your jury notice, you might not be eligible for jury service. For example, if you have been charged with an offence and put on bail. Read the summons carefully and follow any instructions.

• Exemptions from jury service

Apply for an excusal or deferral

If you are summoned to jury service and you can't attend at that time, you may want to make a request for excusal or deferral from jury service. 

The Customer Service Centre will make any decisions on excusals or deferrals until one week before you are due to attend. After that, the decision will be made by the judge at the Court Office where you are due to attend.

The outcome of the decision may:

• allow you to put your service back until a later date (deferral)
• excuse you for a certain period of time if you have a good reason (excusal)

To make an application for excusal or deferral, you must: 

• complete Part II of your jury summons
• provide any supporting documents or evidence

Even with evidence, you still may not be excused from jury service. Decisions are made by the judge or an officer of the court based on the information and evidence provided.

Send your application and supporting documents to the Customer Service Centre by post or email. The addresses will be on your summons.

If you are applying for an excusal or deferral within seven days before you are due to appear in court, you must give your request to the court office in which you are expected to appear as the Customer Service Centre cannot deal with your application.  

Your summons will tell you the correct court you need to go to.

Fines for non-attendance

You might need to pay a fine if you:

• don't attend court when summoned
• aren't fit to be a juror because you've been drinking or taking drugs

When to go to court

Your jury summons will tell you the date, time and where you should go for your first day of jury service. Juries officers will tell you about any other dates.

You must call the free Juryline number or check the Jury panel information online from 5.00 pm on the evening before you are due to appear at court to make sure your date and time has not been changed.

If you are needed for jury duty on a Monday, you will be able to see if you are needed on the previous Friday evening from 5.00 pm.

Sometimes the judge might decide that not all panel members will be needed. 

Making arrangements for attending court

You can tell anyone that you have been called for jury service. But it's an offence to give information about any other juror called for jury service.

You should tell anyone that may be affected by you serving on a jury. You should tell your employer immediately to see if your salary or wages will continue while you are on jury service.

You may need extra childcare arrangements so you can carry out Jury Service. You can only claim a certain amount of childcare costs back and should know this when making arrangements.

• Time off for jury service

To read more about jury allowances, go to:

• Attending court as a juror

Useful information

Jury Frequently Asked Questions