A jury citation from a Scottish court has its own response, attendance and expense process. Respond by the date on the citation, tell your employer as soon as possible and check whether your wages will continue. The employer must allow you time off, but salary is not automatically guaranteed. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) operates a separate scheme that may reimburse eligible loss of earnings or benefits, travel, subsistence and care costs.
This page is for a Scottish citation only. For another UK court, use the England and Wales Jury Service guide or the Northern Ireland Jury Service guide; court forms, steps and expense rules differ.
For a qualifying civic office or listed public-body role rather than a jury citation, read the separate UK public duties time-off guide. Its reasonable-time and pay rules are not the same as release for jury service.
Follow the citation instructions
Tell your employer promptly
Expenses are a separate claim
Respond to the citation and check attendance
Read the citation carefully and respond by the date or through the process it gives you. SCTS says you can respond through its online citation service or by calling the court named on the letter; have your contact phone number and date of birth available. If you want to ask to be excused, use the separate SCTS excusal process and follow its evidence instructions. Do not assume that making a request cancels the citation unless the court confirms this.
After 5pm on the evening before the citation date, call the jurors’ attendance update line using the number on the citation. The recorded message tells you whether you should attend or check again later. Court staff confirm whether you have been selected for a ballot or jury; follow the latest instructions from the court.
Tell your employer and agree pay arrangements
Tell your employer as soon as you receive the citation. GOV.UK says an employer must allow an employee time off for jury service and must not discriminate against them for attending. If the absence would seriously harm the business, the employer may ask the employee to seek one postponement in a 12-month period and provide a letter explaining why; only the court can decide the request.
The employer does not have to continue normal wages unless the employment contract or workplace policy provides for it. Ask payroll for its decision before service starts and request the employer evidence needed for an SCTS loss-of-earnings claim. Keep the written pay decision. The court expense scheme is not automatic salary replacement: it assesses actual loss against current published limits and evidence.
What SCTS expenses may cover
SCTS lists six possible claim categories: travel, subsistence, loss of earnings or benefits, childminding, adult-carer costs and other expenses. It decides what is eligible. Some items, including unusual expenses and certain travel arrangements, need approval in advance. Do not incur a cost on the assumption that the court will reimburse it.
You can submit a claim through the Digital Expenses Payment System. SCTS says it aims to check and verify submitted claims within five working days. Keep receipts and upload the correct certificate: for example, an employer-completed loss-of-earnings certificate or a certificate of loss of benefit. Self-employed claimants need evidence of earnings. The SCTS guide explains which supporting documents apply to each claim.
The SCTS publishes maximum amounts set by Scottish Ministers. They are not guaranteed payments, and the current limits depend on time spent at court, actual loss, evidence and the kind of expense. Check the live SCTS juror expenses guidance before relying on an amount. This page does not reproduce rates that can change.
If you receive benefits or need care support
SCTS’s expense rules include a possible loss-of-benefit claim if a benefit is withdrawn during jury service. Contact your benefits office when you receive the citation and explain that you have been called for jury duty. If the office says your benefit will be withdrawn for the period, ask it to complete the SCTS certificate of loss of benefit and submit that certificate with your claim. The SCTS decides whether the claimed loss qualifies; jury service does not automatically preserve or replace every benefit.
The expense guidance also lists additional childminding and adult-carer expenses. It requires the relevant certificates and says usual care arrangements are not automatically reimbursed. Check the current eligibility and hourly limits with SCTS before making extra commitments.
A citation-to-expense-claim checklist
- 1Check that the citation is for a Scottish court, note the response and attendance instructions, and respond through the cited online service or court contact.
- 2If you need to request excusal or a change, follow SCTS’s current process and wait for the court’s decision before treating the citation as changed.
- 3Tell your employer promptly; confirm whether wages continue and ask for any employer certificate needed for a loss-of-earnings claim.
- 4Call the attendance update number after 5pm the evening before, and follow the court’s daily selection and attendance instructions.
- 5Keep receipts and claim evidence. If a benefit may be withdrawn, contact the benefit office and obtain the SCTS loss-of-benefit certificate before submitting the claim through DEPS.
Frequently asked questions
Does this guide apply across the UK?
How do I respond to a Scottish jury citation?
Do I have to call before attending?
Can I ask to be excused?
Must my employer let me attend?
Will my employer keep paying my salary?
What can I claim from SCTS?
How do I submit expenses?
Can I claim lost wages if my employer pays me?
What if I receive a benefit?
Can I claim childcare or adult-care costs?
Are the amounts in this guide guaranteed?
Where can I read about England, Wales or Northern Ireland?
Is jury service emergency leave for a dependant?
Official sources
- Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service: About jury duty in Scotland
- Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service: Excusal from jury service
- Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service: Questions about jury service
- Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service: Juror expenses
- Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service: Digital Expenses Payment System
- GOV.UK: Giving staff time off for jury service
- GOV.UK: Paying staff on jury service
Check the court citation, live SCTS expense guidance and official claim service before acting. This guide does not determine excusal, employment pay or reimbursement for an individual case.