Jury duty

Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash

Today, for the second time in my life, I received mail from The Ministry of the Attorney General, the government department that maintains the justice system here in Canada. Once again, they would like to determine if I am eligible for “jury duty,” so today I’d like to share with you a little about how this system works where I live in Ontario, Canada. (Information that comes directly from the government’s website will be in quotes.)

What did I receive in the mail?

“Each year, the Mandatory Jury Eligibility Form (jury questionnaire) is mailed to about 800,000 people living in Ontario to determine if they are eligible for jury duty.”

What is “jury duty”?

“A jury is a group of people randomly selected to make decisions at a trial in a court of law. A judge guides a jury through a trial by explaining the law and legal terms. You don’t need to know anything about the law to serve on a jury. Jurors also participate in coroner’s inquests. It is the civic duty of all Ontario residents who are Canadian citizens 18 years of age and older to serve as a juror if selected.”

What happens after someone completes and submits their Mandatory Jury Eligibility Form?

“People who submit the questionnaire and qualify to serve as jurors may then receive a letter in the mail (a summons), the following year, asking them to go to an Ontario courthouse or other location to participate in the jury selection process. Being summoned to jury duty does not mean you will be selected to be part of a jury.”

What happens during the jury selection process?

“At the location on the summons, people are randomly selected to participate on a jury. Some people may not be selected and may be asked to come back the next day or they could be dismissed. If you are selected to be a juror, a judge will provide information about what to do next. If you’re not selected, you might be asked to return the next day to repeat the process.”

What happened to me last time?

Nothing! I was not selected to serve on a jury last time. In fact, “fewer than 6% of people who complete the form end up serving as jurors.” Still, unless you have a good reason to be exempted, it is your obligation as a citizen to complete the form, so that’s what I’ll be doing today!