By Elizabeth Davies
Life is all about learning to live within your means.
It’s taken me a couple of years but I’ve got there.
I know I can cover my rent, food and other bits and pieces.
It’s not the day-to-day stuff that breaks you, it’s the costs that you’re not expecting, the ones that pop up out of nowhere just to remind you who wears the pants and make sure you don’t get too comfortable.
A few weeks ago I got mail! I was immediately excited (it doesn’t happen very often). I eagerly opened the sealed envelope only to find ... jury service. I’m 23, my best years are still ahead of me, I thought I had more time!
I traipsed in on the first day only to be joined by about a hundred and fifty other people looking miserable, feeling like they had been dealt a bad hand.
We sat, silently, some drinking weak coffee, watching a video that was supposed to teach us about the value of performing our civic duty.
As I looked around I saw flash suits, single mums, disgruntled youths and me.
I wasn’t too worried, I had an ace up my sleeve. I was pretty confident I’d be challenged, what with being so young and all. I was wrong. I watched potential juror after potential juror make their excuses and beg their way out of the court.
Taking ten days off work is a lot to ask of anyone. Jurors are given about $60 a day, an amount which most people consider miniscule.
Lucky for me that ‘small’ amount is actually a hell of a lot to me, so I feel like I’m being relatively well paid for my civic service.
I am however aware of the strain this must put on some people, not only financially but also considering issues like childcare and putting a hold on work commitments. While I have large, significant university assignments I’m having to put off, I don’t have kids to feed or a mortgage to pay.
For most people jury duty is the unlucky lottery.
It’s time consuming, costly and incredibly inconvenient.
However it’s also incredibly interesting and satisfying.
It’s likely a once in a life time opportunity and while it may only pay minimum wage, it’s far more fulfilling than serving fries.
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*Elizabeth Davies is a 23 year old post graduate journalism student at Auckland University of Technology. She lives with her partner in Epsom and spends her free time refurbishing vintage furniture and attempting to bake while fighting a daily battle against her bank balance. She writes a weekly article for interest.co.nz on money matters and financial struggles from a young person's perspective.
7 Comments
An interesting and timely article, for me. I must have been also around 23 when first called up for jury service. In those days I wore a suit and probably looked quite presentable, yet, I was chalanged. I always wonder what it was about me that someone didn't like. I wonder what information they had on me that didn't suit their interests.
This lead me to the thought that a jury is not just a random group of your peers, but of a nicely selected group of your peers, where the 'potentially undesirable' have been filtered out.
Earlier this year I was again selected for jury service, but this time applied for deferral due to work comittements, which was granted. Alas a few weeks later, another summons for a date later this year. Of course nobody knows how long I'll be required for, so it makes planning things around that time rather challenging. I rather hope that I'm challenged again, unless perhaps it's a case where my skillset would be an advantage. As you say, the pay is very low, though my employer has offered to keep paying my wages for a week at most, so that is good news. Alas, I am cursed with a sense of humour, and have been looking at clothing online; a great range of T-Shirts are available now - I'm leaning towards the one that reads "I head voices in my head and they're speaking Russian" - I guess only those people who watch FPS Russia on YouTube will get that one... I don't think I'll go as far as the one that reads "guilty", but that would be a great laugh too.
Hmm, better go, there are sirens in the street outside and someone knocking heavily on my door...
;-)
I've been called up twice. I don't own a suit, or a tie. Got selected once, rejected once. The involvement one was satisfying - being part of the community. The rejection was by a lawyer who knew of me, but didn't 'know me'. May have decided I had a prejudice detrimental to her client, who knows?
How about a t-shirt with a thumbs up or a thumbs down? Or one with an adjustable thumb?
I have been selected once. It was a sobering and meaningful experience that we would all benefit from. Especially when we are tending to mouth off about the legal process. Just wish that it wasn't neccessary.
In a world where many people are struggling I see no justification for not paying at least the living wage. The judges and lawers are all paid well. We don't want a system where only the wealthy can afford to serve and the poor find every excuse to avoid their civic duty.
I think there should be a law which requires employers to pay employees their full remuneration whilst on jury service. The employers could be reimbursed whatever the daily rate is by the justice system. If the employer wanted to plead hardship (either for financial or workload reasons) - then they could do that in court to get their employees excused.
One of the bonuses of not participating in the comedy act called voting means your address is not up to date on the electoral role. The summons will never get to me. I think the justice system is also a comedy act but would still be happy to do it because in that instance justice would to some extent be up to me not some swanky smart mouthed barrister. Agree with Chris-M about the pay though, make it the same as the Judge and/or Barristers, surely the jury is just as essential to the court as them?
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