At the courthouse

Where should I go when I get to court?

On the date of the summons you should come to the Courts of Justice, Deemsters Walk, Bucks Road, Douglas. You should report to the Wedding Room at the Civil Registry (red brick building, NOT the white building) on Deemsters Walk, which is indicated on the map enclosed, where you will be met by the duty coroner or the court usher.

What if I have been excused?

If you have been excused you do not have to attend

What do I do once I am there?

You should attend no later than 9.30am. Please do not be late. Please bring the coroner's summons and other means of identification with you.

If you travel to court in your own vehicle, park it where it can remain all day because if you are chosen as a juror you may not be able to leave the court until the end of the day. There is no on-site parking for jurors (be aware that you cannot claim the cost of parking for the day).

Do not plan anything else for the day of the summons.

You will be shown an instructional 'jury dvd' for about 20minutes to familirise yourself with the layout of the court, and the people who will be in there.

You will all then be taken into the jury room, where between 7 and 12 jurors will be selected from the group by ballot. If you are not chosen as a juror you must not leave the building until a court official dismissed you. If there is an objection about any of the selected jurors, another one will be chosen by ballot.

You will be entitled to payment for attending court in response to the summons, whether or not you are chosen as a juror. you will also be entitled to limited travel expenses, if you have any. If you are chosen as a juror, the amount of money you are paid depends on the length of the trial. A court official will explain these details to you if you ask.

The Hearing

Once started, the trial usually starts at 10.00am each day, breaking for lunch at about 1.00pm, and finishing about 4.30-5.00pm. However these times will depend on how the evidence is going.

Depending on the Deemster, and how the evidence is going, you may be given a 10-15minute break in the morning, and one in the afternoon.

The coroner looks after the jury throughout the trial. Any questions or problems should go to the coroner, who will then ask the court.

As a juror, you are not to discuss the case with anyone other than the other members of the jury at court.

Once the Deemster has summed up all the evidence and given directions to the jury, you will retire into the jury room to consider all the evidence and decide your verdict. Any questions or problems from the jury room are directed at the coroner, who will bring the matter to the attention of the court clerk.

If the jury request to see an exhibit, the coroner will take the required exhibits to the jury room during their diliberations for them to view.

If making a decision continues into the lunch hour, lunch will be provided by the court. this usually consists of sandwiches, crisps, fruit, biscuits, hot and cold drinks.

The jury will indicate to the coroner if/when they have reached a verdict. The coroner in turn will then contact the court clerk who will inform the Deemster.

When deciding, the jury will appoint one jury member to be the foreman. It is the foreman that will give the verdict to the court when the Deemster asks if the jury has reached a decision upon which they are all agreed.

Facilities

All jury rooms have tea/coffee making facilities;
male and female toilets;
jurors must leave the building at lunchtime unless making a decision runs into lunch time;
in this case lunch of sandwiches, crisps, fruit, biscuits and hot or cold drinks will be provided by the court;
there is a NO smoking policy in the courthouse; and
there are NO parking facilities.

What if I have a question about coming to court?

If you have a question about being a juror or coming to court you can;

telephone the court, Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm;
write to the court; or
if your enquiry is urgent then you can send a fax to the court.