Jury service notification?

In the UK how is jury service notification delivered. Is it by recorded delivery or by ordinary mail.Is there anything on the outside of the envelope which might suggest that it is such a notification. What would happen if the notification was recorded delivery and was not delivered and was not collected from the post office after the postie puts a card through your letterbox advising you to collect the letter from the post office. How determined would the court be to force you to attend for jury service.What lengths would they go to to trace you. What are considered acceptable reasons to be excused.

Many thanks to respondents so far. Several have deduced correctly that I would wish to avoid what I consider an onerous task. Firstly, sitting in judgement of another person is not a task I feel qualified to do. Secondly in the unlikely event of being selected for a particularly gruesome crime say murder etc or any other offensive or traumatic crime what support would I receive for the after effects of exposure to the evidence. I suspect none whatsoever. I think I would rather pay a fine than take the chance of damaging my health.

It is delivered by normal post and if you don't reply by the date they send another reminder. You will need a very good excuse not to attend. Your employer is legally bound to allow you time off to serve. I think if you have a serious illness or disability then you may be excused with a doctors note. I am not sure what lengths they would go to to find you and I wouldn't want to find out


EDIT: You can refuse to do certain cases if you are not comfortable doing them - if it is a muder they will check with you as these cases usually go on for a lot longer than the time that you are supposed to serve. Also if you feel so strongly about doing it perhaps you could go and have a word with your doctor and explain your concerns he may give you a sick note to excuse you!! Especially if for example you have suddenly started have anxiety attacks or panic attacks - just a suggestion better than being fined or finding yourself in front of a magistrate or judge!

think they keep trying .you can put off as booked a holiday, but they will still want you , unless you have hearing loss ect think still need to go to doc's to get note for them ,prob best to move to france or so, if really don't want to do it. give it a go it 's a great thing to do ,to help uphold the law and very interesting .

Hello,

(ANS) As far as my understanding goes, you would receive a letter sent by normal first class post and it wouldnt be obvious that it was from a court.

**NOTE: You would have to have an extremely GOOD excuse or genuine reason to be let off attendance.

a) Bereavement.
b) Major surgery like heart bypass or something of that nature.
c) Major illness & being bed bound, or highly infecious
d) wife is due to give birth or labour is imminenet.
e) Mental illness, ie. been sectioned under the mental health act. Meaning you would be mentally incapable. Therefore not suitable.

I dont know what sanctions would be placed upon a person NOT attending but I think it would go down like a lead balloon if you dont attend. You might even be given a fine?? I dont know to be honest with you but I do know non attendance would be pretty serious, especially if its a serious case such as a murder trial.

IR

I would love to do it,but ive never been chosen.

Mine came by ordinary mail and I've done it twice , by your question i guess you don't want to do it why? You will not loose any money by it and you are doing a service for your country.