Jury duty is definitely an experience. When I did mine the defendant was convicted, and his brothers mouthed abuse at every single juror as we left. The entire jury ended up being locked in a room whilst court officials checked that the brothers had left the site. I'm really hoping not to be called again for a while as sorting childcare would be a nightmare.

We had one day when the defendant didn't turn up (his mum phoned to say that he'd had an allergic reaction to a skin cream) so we all got sent home again. It's a good thing to do, I think, but it can be hugely inconvenient. Which I know is nothing compared to the importance of Justice, but I think most jurors end up relying on goodwill from someone, be that employers or childcare providers.