Jury Service

You have really answered your own question. My understanding is that for the self employed, as you are, then the figures you have provided are the maximum you can claim (and cover loss of earnings) - it does not matter if you are a self employed painter or a professional bettor.

Think you can get more (over £200 per day) for very long trials, but I guess that does not happen very often.

I did not answer the question. The figures quoted is what you will get paid
from the court regardless of what you earn. If you are full time on Betfair
winning say £1000 a week and you put in a claim for loss of earnings what
will they say?

The taxman knows what I do for a living, the bank statemants back up the claim.
Will the courts cough up the loss of earnings?

You are missing the point Honest Al - jury service is UNPAID. The figures you have quoted cover 'loss of earnings'

It does not matter a jot how much you earn as a self employed bettor - think of it as your civic duty

I will have a closer look at the rules and regs later. The summons
arrived just before racing today.

Sure - my wife got her summons a couple of years back and it was difficult getting out of it despite her poor health.

Good luck.

It sounds like your betfair moniker has finally caught up with you

That said, if you end up on a really interesting case that is in the media, perhaps some 'code' in the forum might be appropriate for visiting a few bookmakers around town before the verdict

BTW, after 39 years of living in Quebec, I got my summons a week before moving here

Honest Al if you want to weasel out of your duty tell them you will do it if compelled to but your conscience will not let you give a guilty verdict.You may have to plead cause in front of a judge but they will not make do jury duty if they think you have a closed mind

i wonder what access to betfair you would get if you were on a jury

you could hardly fire up your laptop whilst in court, but there are plenty of breaks ....

No, but lights from the deliberation room can blink "Just going back in.  Forgot my jacket...."  Blink twice for Not Guilty...three times for Guilty

I just filled the form and asked for a deferral until December. Less damage
to earnings that time of year.

I got a summons last June.  Had it deferred but then got a letter in September asking for my presence in November. I sent an email to the address in the letter saying I can't afford to come as I have dependants and am self employed and attending will cause me hardship. I received an email twenty mins later telling me I was not required to attend.  Al, just do the same and you will be fine.  Only public sector workers and scrounges go I reckon.

Hi Al. I am currently going through this rigmarole too. Rang them to check this and CY is spot on - you cannot claim for loss of earnings if a pro punter I'm afraid. Best hope they have too many jurors on the list come December and you're not required.Good luck!

Don't say you're a pro punter.Say you're a self employed systems analyst.Not untrue - you're a racing systems analyst.

You won't be able to claim anything as gambling winnings aren't classed as earnings.  They will want to see proof of earnings eg. a tax return from the last tax year, which you obviously won't have.

tell them you never back black jockeys

tell them the truth, you are unemployed.

you survive by gambling to eat, is there some magic figure that makes you a 'professional gambler'.

I was on maternity leave when mine arrived. My partner who'd been a police officer advised me to write the following: "I kindly advise you that, I do no believe British police officers ever lie, and I will always convict on a police officers evidence". They wrote back telling me I wouldn't be required and I've never been asked again. This was in 1993, but can't see how it wouldn't still be effective.

your not employed,your not self employed and your not unemployed technically .

you are classified as no income or independant means  - which means you won't or shouldn't expect to get paid as if you were working .

you may well wish to take part out of duty .

you might even enjoy it

you're *

you're, you're*

yeah,missed 3 of them Joel 

i did jury service about 4 years back - was slightly annoying  when the guy next to me was claiming £1200 per week ( a s/e builder)  for doing the same task as me (not sure if he was allowed it all though )

hey, ho

I really enjoyed Jury Service far more than i thought i would. To be honest it was a fantastic experience.

you can get out of it if you pretend to be a divvy. the courts are worried that the intelligence of some members of jury's is insufficient to reach a reliable verdict. there was newspaper article about it recently. if you can come across as a thick c*nt they won't use you. put on a scouse or irish accent.

^ The irony

This thread reminds of the old adage 'never place your fate in the hands of those who can't get out of jury service'.