Jury Service and Your Employer in Northern Ireland

Who this guide is for

People in Northern Ireland who have been summoned for jury service and want to know what their employer must do about time off and pay, what they can claim from the court, and what to do if they are treated badly or dismissed.

What this guide does not cover

• Jury service in England, Wales or Scotland: see the England and Wales guide or the Scotland guide.
• Who is disqualified or ineligible for jury service, and what happens at court: this guide does not cover it. Read your summons and nidirect.
• Whether your employer can make you use holiday for jury service, or ask you to work on days the court does not need you: this guide does not cover it. Ask the LRA.
• What protection you have if you are a worker but not an employee (for example some agency or zero hours workers): this guide does not cover it. Ask the LRA.
• What evidence a self-employed juror needs to claim for lost earnings: ask the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service Customer Service Centre.
• Tribunal time limits in detail, and when a late claim can be accepted: ask the LRA.

What the rules depend on

1. Where is the court? This guide is for jury service in Northern Ireland. England and Wales, and Scotland, have their own guides.
2. Are you an employee, a worker or self-employed? Employees: the time off, pay and protection rules below. Self-employed: you claim your own financial loss from the court. A worker who is not an employee: ask the LRA what protection you have.
3. Does your contract say you are paid during jury service? If it does, your employer must pay what it says. If it does not, your employer does not have to pay you and you claim from the court.
4. What has your employer done, and when? Refused time off, treated you badly or dismissed you. The date decides your time limit.

"Does my employer have to let me go?"

Yes. If you are called for jury service, your employer must allow you time off from work. If they do not, they could be in contempt of court.

Show your employer your jury summons. Tell them the start date of your jury service, and how long the judge thinks the trial will last if you are chosen.

"Does my employer have to pay me?"

Not unless your contract says so. Your employer does not have to pay you while you are doing jury service.

If you are not being paid in full, you can claim the shortfall from the court as a financial loss allowance, up to the daily maximum. If you are claiming financial loss, make sure your employer completes the employer's certificate.

If your contract says you are paid during jury service and your employer does not pay you, that can count as treating you badly because of jury service (see below).

"How much can I claim from the court?"

The financial loss allowance covers loss of earnings, benefits, childcare, National Insurance contributions and pension contributions, up to these daily maximums in total:

• First 10 days, less than 4 hours at court: £32.47 a day.
• First 10 days, more than 4 hours at court: £64.95 a day.
• From day 11, less than 4 hours: £64.95 a day.
• From day 11, more than 4 hours: £129.91 a day.

If you are losing more than the maximum, the court cannot pay the difference. What you get depends on how long you are in court each day, how many hours of work you have missed and how many days you are needed.

You can also claim a daily travel allowance for the return journey from your home or workplace to the court, and a meal allowance if you are away from home or work for more than 5 hours. Refreshments and lunch are not provided.

"How do I claim?"

Fill in the Jury Expense Form and send it, with all your receipts, within 14 days from the date your jury service ends. Email it to jurorexpenses@courtsni.gov.uk or post it to the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service Customer Service Centre. No expenses are paid without receipts.

"My employer wants me to delay it"

If your employer tells you your absence would have a serious effect on the business, you can ask for a deferral or excusal. Your employer must give you a letter on headed paper, or with the business stamp, setting out why your absence may damage the business. Send it to the court.

Even if you send the letter, you may still be asked to attend court. Requests from shift or night workers are looked at case by case.

To apply, complete Part II of your jury summons and send any supporting documents or evidence. The Customer Service Centre decides until one week before you are due to attend. After that, the judge at the court where you are due to attend decides, and you give your request to that court office.

You can be called for jury service if you are over 18. There is no automatic exemption because of age, but you can ask to be excused if you are over 70.

"My employer treated me badly because of jury service"

As an employee, you have the right not to be treated badly by your employer (subjected to a detriment) because you were summoned for jury service or were absent from work to attend. For example, you should not be passed over for promotion because of your jury service. This is in the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.

Not being paid during jury service does not count as a detriment, unless your contract entitles you to be paid.

If your employer treats you badly for going to jury service, follow the grievance procedure in your contract. You can also complain to an industrial tribunal. Notify the LRA first (see below).

"I was sacked because of jury service"

If you are an employee and the reason (or main reason) for your dismissal is that you were summoned for jury service, or were absent from work to attend, the dismissal is automatically unfair. You do not need a year's continuous employment to claim.

There is one exception. The dismissal is not automatically unfair if your employer shows all of these: your absence was likely to cause substantial harm to the business, your employer told you so, and you unreasonably refused or failed to apply to be excused.

This guide gives no figures for what a tribunal might award. Ask the LRA.

"What do I do first?"

Before most claims you must notify the Labour Relations Agency (LRA). Early conciliation through the LRA is free. If you notify the LRA within your time limit, the clock stops for up to 1 calendar month while conciliation takes place, plus up to 14 more days if both sides agree.

Deadlines you must meet

• Most tribunal claims, including unfair dismissal: 3 months less 1 day.
• Early conciliation: tell the LRA within your time limit.
• Juror expenses: the claim form and receipts are due within 14 days of the end of your jury service.

Money figures

• The court's daily maximums are the ones set out above. They cover all your financial loss for the day together.
• This guide gives no tribunal award figures.

Traps

• There is no Acas early conciliation in Northern Ireland. Use the LRA.
• Do not assume the October 2026 change to 6 months applies. Most tribunal claims in Northern Ireland stay at 3 months less 1 day.
• A late expenses claim, or one without receipts, may not be paid.
• The court allowance is not your wages. It is capped at a daily maximum, whatever you normally earn.
• The protection from being treated badly or dismissed is for employees.