Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department has issued to staff in the Jury Central Summoning Bureau in respect of deferral of jury service by (a) breastfeeding mothers and (b) people on maternity and other statutory parental leave.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service recognise that sometimes it may be difficult for some people to serve on the date originally summoned. Jurors are given the opportunity when responding to their summons to apply for a deferral to a more suitable date within the next twelve months.

Deferral and excusal applications are considered by summoning officers at the Jury Central Summoning Bureau (JCSB). Each application for deferral/excusal is considered on its own merit, in a way that is both fair to the individual and consistent with the needs of the court in providing a representative jury.

Guidance on applications for excusal or deferral in relation to breastfeeding or maternity or parental leave states that officials should consider these applications sympathetically, with deferral considered in the first instance. Breastfeeding a child would be considered a valid reason for deferring jury service. A juror could apply for an excusal if they were still unable to serve as the new date approached.