Juries: Breastfeeding

(asked on 12th April 2021) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what provisions his Department have put in place to support breast feeding women who are called to undertake jury service.


Answered by
Chris Philp Portrait
Chris Philp
Minister of State (Home Office)
This question was answered on 15th April 2021

Breastfeeding jurors who wish to undertake jury service can discuss their needs with the court to ensure that they can be supported during their service. This support could include providing a place to express milk and suitable storage for expressed milk. HMCTS will be guided by the needs of the individual and will meet any reasonable request wherever possible.

All jurors, including breastfeeding women, can apply to change the date of their jury service to another date within a 12-month period of the original summons. This is known as a deferral. If a juror believes they cannot serve at any time during those 12 months, they can apply to be excused. Deferral and excusal applications are considered by summoning officers at the Jury Central Summoning Bureau (JCSB) Each application is carefully considered on its own merits and in light of individual circumstances.

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