Hi all,
I recently completed jury duty here in Melbourne, and I thought I'd share my experience, as some of my questions weren't easily answered online. Plus, a few things seem to have changed since previous posts.
The Jury Duty Summons:
I received my summons to appear at the County Court for service in August, went to the Juries VIC portal, and accepted. After filling out my details, I was summoned to appear in early October.
First Day of Jury Duty:
I arrived at 8:30 AM and brought my Steam Deck to pass the time. The County Court’s waiting area is spacious and comfortable, with complimentary Arnotts cookies biscuits, tea, coffee, and a few vending machines with reasonably priced snacks. There’s even a pool table, though I didn’t see anyone use it.
At 10:30 AM, we were called to the main room, and jury numbers were read aloud. My number was called, and I joined a group of about 30 jurors who were led into a courtroom for empanelment.
Empanelment Process:
In the courtroom, we sat in the public section as the judge read out the case details. It was a criminal case, so the judge listed the charge, names of the accused, alleged victim, witnesses, and legal teams. Juror numbers were called, and each of us said either “Excuse” or “Present.” If you knew anyone involved in the case, you’d be excused. You could also request an excuse if you felt you couldn’t be unbiased. If so, you wrote down your reason, which was passed to the judge for consideration. Several jurors were excused this way.
Then, jurors were called to the back, one by one, and walked past the accused toward the jury box. During this, the accused could challenge up to three jurors without giving a reason. I was chosen without a challenge.
Once all 12 jurors were selected, the remaining jurors were dismissed, and the trial began with opening statements from the prosecution and defence. We were then dismissed for the day.
The Jury Room:
This room, located behind the courtroom, is where the jury gathers throughout the trial. It’s accessible from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and judge associates keep it stocked with snacks, tea, and coffee. There’s also a fridge, microwave, and hot and cold water. While in this room, you’re allowed to use your phone and other devices. We often waited there while the judge handled procedural matters with the legal teams, which sometimes took 10–20 minutes.
There are private toilets and a secure lift that takes you up to the room so if you don't have a need to leave during your service, you never have to.
The Jury:
This part is always interesting since you don’t know who you’ll be working with. Our jury was mainly professionals aged from their mid-20s to mid-40s, plus a retiree who was a joy to speak with. We got along well, sharing personal stories and getting to know each other. After two days, we nominated a foreperson who’d served twice before and was skilled at guiding conversations. Everyone was respectful, and there were no strong personalities or wild theories. It made for a positive atmosphere.
Deliberations:
Once all testimony and evidence is given, you are sent back to deliberate to reach a verdict. This will always be the most emotional and heated time so having someone to help guide it, as our foreperson did, really made a difference. We were back late most days and had to take an oath at the end of the day to state that we would not discuss it outside of the court room.
The Final Day:
After delivering our verdict, we had a final lunch and then debriefed at a nearby pub. We all got along so well that we started a WhatsApp group to stay in touch.
Lunch:
Lunch arrangements were a bit unclear at first. You need to bring your own lunch each day or buy it nearby, as meals aren’t provided, except during final deliberations when you can’t leave the room.
During deliberations, you are provided sandwiches and drinks. The sandwiches were actually quite good, and I quite enjoyed them. You can bring in food from home though if that is not up to your standard.
Pay:
Jurors are paid $40 per day for the first six days, including your first day even if you’re dismissed. After six days, it increases to $80 per day, paid every Thursday.
Work then pays the difference between what Juries VIC pays you and your salary. If you are self-employed, this can be a reason that you can excuse, or defer, your service when you are originally summoned.
My Overall Opinion:
I’m big on civic duty, and this was my first jury duty experience. I enjoyed it and felt the importance of the process. If you get the chance to serve, I recommend doing it—it’s one of the rare times your opinion truly matters beyond yourself. Would I do it again? Absolutely. While I’m automatically excluded for three years, I might remove myself from the exclusion in a few months. Whether or not I’m ever called up again, I’d be glad to use this experience to help guide another jury.
I’ll update this post if I think of more, and feel free to ask any questions!
EDIT: Thanks all for your questions. I have enjoyed answering them and will continue to do so however I am stepping away for the day. If you do have questions, please click here to review what I have answered in Q&A Mode and if you don't find your answer, please ask away and I will endeavour to get back to you :)
Also discovered that Juries Victoria have a Reddit account that is semi-active. It's worth while reading the account history for some interesting details too! Shout out to /u/Juries_Victoria
