The significance of the revision of Schedule 33 of The Criminal Justice Act 2004, which came into force on 5 April 2004, had not troubled me. This was to change upon my return from my holiday, when I was summoned for jury service at the County Crown Court in 8 weeks time. Along with approximately 180 000 others each year, my name had been randomly selected from the electoral register, and I was warned that I was liable to a fine of £1000 if I did not reply or attend court without good reason. Doctors, along with judges, bishops and politicians are no longer automatically excused jury service, thus permitting juries to be fully representative of local communities. Satisfied that I did not fulfil any exclusion criteria: I had no outstanding convictions, was not on bail, or suffering mental illness, I was keen to perform my public duty, but was troubled by a number of questions. How would my experience compare with the fictional television series ‘Judge John Deed’? How was I to put the idea to my four partners? The costs …