Help with court appearance

[DGP1]

Could anyone out there let me know what the rules are for being a witness in court ie. do you come in to work then go off to court then come back to work or do you get the whole day off?

[madelin4]

Could anyone out there let me know what the rules are for being a witness in court ie. do you come in to work then go off to court then come back to work or do you get the whole day off?

I done jury service and that was my work for 4 weeks!

[johnnyp]

Could anyone out there let me know what the rules are for being a witness in court ie. do you come in to work then go off to court then come back to work or do you get the whole day off?

Not 100% sure but i would inform the Dom that you will not be able to attend for work on that day as you are in court and could be called to the witness box at any time and that you will be asking for a days special leave with pay.It will be down to his discretion if he gives you paid or unpaid leave.Argue that the court appearence is out of your controll and you should not loose a days pay.Good luck.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Could anyone out there let me know what the rules are for being a witness in court ie. do you come in to work then go off to court then come back to work or do you get the whole day off?

Got this from http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/witness/wal ... /faq/#2012

# What if I need time off work?
top

As it is not your choice whether to go to court and you are fulfilling a public duty your employer should normally give you time off work to go to court. You should let your employer know in advance that are going to be called as a witness. If you are a prosecution witness you can show your employer the letter that you received from the police informing you that you are required to attend court, as proof that you have to attend court. If you are a defence witness you can show your employer the letter that you received from the defence solicitor informing you that you are required to attend court, as proof that you have to attend court.

If you can't persuade your employer to give you time off you should let the police (if you are a prosecution witness) or the defence solicitor (if you are a defence witness) know as soon as possible. The CPS, the police or the defence solicitor will try to contact your employer and sort things out. As a last resort, the court may issue a witness summons, which means that you are legally required to attend court. You can then show this summons to your employer as proof of your duty to go.

Although an employer is generally entitled to deduct pay from an employee who takes time off work, if you lose pay you can claim a witness allowance for loss of earnings.

[johnnyp]

Nice one Teebs

[DGP1]

The problem is we've only been told at the last minute, so I guess there will be a trail of people in RM uniform at the court tomorrow

[Stormproof]

The court should send you a form to claim back lost wages and travel costs. There is also a voluntary service that works for the court, they will talk you through the process of what goes on and show you the court room etc.

[andy2007]

I got Paid Special Leave to attend Court as a Prosecution Witness a few years ago. They even provided a room, and some time off the Shop Floor, when the Police needed some extra information before the Court Date.

If they did that for me, then they should do the same for you.

[mailsort6]

The courts should send you a form to fill in for loss of wages, travel expenses, etc. You usually have the whole day/s off because you do not know how long you will be in court.

[andy2007]

The courts should send you a form to fill in for loss of wages, travel expenses, etc. You usually have the whole day/s off because you do not know how long you will be in court.

Depending on the type of Case, you may possibly need more than one day. Although the Court will tell you in time for you to make the neccessary arrangements with Work.

[DGP1]

Went to court today, what a waste of time , waited for 2 hours and then the defendant agreed our statements were true and that we were not needed, then he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

[johnnyp]

Went to court today, what a waste of time , waited for 2 hours and then the defendant agreed our statements were true and that we were not needed, then he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

Oh well never mind at least we all know what to do now in the event of it happening to one of us

[DGP1]

On a related matter, we had a person going around the office this morning shouting 'You can't handle the truth' which was obviously aimed at those of us who were going to court (BTW the person is one of the managers pets), I'd just like to know if it's harassment or not.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

harassment (either harris-meant or huh-rass-meant) n. the act of systematic and/or continued unwanted and annoying actions of one party or a group, including threats and demands. The purposes may vary, including racial prejudice, personal malice, an attempt to force someone to quit a job or grant sexual favours, apply illegal pressure to collect a bill, or merely gain sadistic pleasure from making someone fearful or anxious.

Harassment, in general terms, is unwanted conduct affecting the dignity of men and women in the workplace. It may be related to age, sex, race, disability, religion, nationality or any personal characteristic of the individual, and may be persistent or an isolated incident. The key is that the actions or comments are viewed as demeaning and unacceptable to the recipient.

Behaviour that is considered bullying by one person may be considered firm management by another. Most people will agree on extreme cases of bullying and harassment but it is sometimes the 'grey' areas that cause most problems. It is good practice for employers to give examples of what is unacceptable behaviour in their organisation and this may include:

* spreading malicious rumours, or insulting someone (particularly on the grounds of age, race, sex, disability, sexual orientation and religion or belief)

* copying memos that are critical about someone to others who do not need to know

* ridiculing or demeaning someone - picking on them or setting them up to fail

* exclusion or victimisation

* unfair treatment

* overbearing supervision or other misuse of power or position

* unwelcome sexual advances - touching, standing too close, display of offensive materials

* making threats or comments about job security without foundation

* deliberately undermining a competent worker by overloading and constant criticism

* preventing individuals progressing by intentionally blocking promotion or training opportunities.

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=794

So Yes if you think its harassment then it is. All the better if others think the same.

[andy2007]

Went to court today, what a waste of time , waited for 2 hours and then the defendant agreed our statements were true and that we were not needed, then he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

The same thing happened when I went to Court. The Defendants had counted on us being too frightened to turn up, and had pleaded Innocent. When they found out that we had both turned up, and were ready to take the Stand, they made a similar deal with the Prosecution.

We were, of course asked if we were willing to accept the deal, or if we wanted to push for the more serious Charges. But, at least this way, we were guaranteed to get them off the Streets for a while. There's always the chance of people getting off on a technicality if it gets as far as the Court Room.

Did they consult you, before accepting the lesser Charge?
If not, they let you down badly!