Sheffield judge issues jury service warning as he fines prospective juror £750 for failing to attend

Ellie-May Robinson was fined in her absence during a hearing held at Sheffield Crown Court on September 2, when she was summoned to appear in front of The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson QC.

“Jury service is an important public duty. Any one of us, myself included, could be summoned for jury service. It is not a request, when a juror receives a summons, it is an order,” Judge Richardson said of the requirement to serve on a jury when summoned.

Outlining the facts of the case, Judge Richardson said Robinson, whose registered address on Hollis Croft, Sheffield city centre, an eight-minute walk from the court, was originally due to serve on a jury in August 2021; but requested that her jury service be ‘deferred’ because of training requirements she had to fulfill as part of her course as a student nurse.

“The court, in accordance with the process of wishing to cooperate with jurors, agreed to the deferral for up to 12 months,” said Judge Richardson, adding that Robinson, aged 25, was then given a deferred date on which to serve jury duty in August 2022.

Judge Richardson detailed how Robinson wrote to the court in early August 2022, indicating that she would be unable to participate in jury service until she has ‘completed’ her nursing degree.

This was rejected by the court office, and a representative wrote to Robinson explaining jury service is a ‘mandatory legal requirement,’ adding she could make another application for jury service to be deferred.

Judge Richardson said the office wrote to Robinson again on August 10, stating she ‘may not decide herself not to attend’ and that she had been given 12 months in which to make arrangements to facilitate her serving on a jury as requested.

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Robinson subsequently failed to attend for jury service on the requested date of August 15, and later wrote to the court reiterating the excuse she had previously provided for her non-attendance.

The court heard how Robinson was informed her excuse had not been accepted and she was summoned to appear in front of Judge Richardson on August 26 but did not attend; and also failed to show for the second hearing on September 2 – despite being warned that the court has the power to issue fines of up to £1,000 for failure to serve on a jury.

“If the juror had attended and given a cogent explanation...then I may have been prepared to defer or decide no further action,” Judge Richardson said, adding that the court has not received any proof of Robinson’s degree course or work placements.

He continued: “This court, in common with all courts, endeavours to cooperate and assist all jurors when a request is made on proper grounds for a deferral, so that professional business and family life can be accommodated.

“There comes a point when the court, trying to be as fair as it possibly can, has to take action.”

Judge Richardson discharged Robinson from jury service and fined her £750.

He said he had stepped back from imposing the maximum fine of £1,000 due to Robinson’s assertion that she is a trainee nurse.