What is a summons?

A Summons is a letter advising you that you are required to attend court for jury service, on a particular date and time. Your summons notice is a legal document, which you must obey.

Your jury summons will tell you:

• which court you need to attend, including a street address
• the date and time you are required to attend
• the estimated length of the trial you may be selected for
• what you need to do before attending
• how to apply to be excused from jury service.

A sample of what this letter looks like can be found here (PDF, 172.2 KB).

A summons is usually sent out one month before you are required to attend court but can be sent out closer to your court attendance date. This gives you time to talk to your employer and family and make arrangements for what will happen if you are selected for jury service on the day you attend.

What do I do after I receive a summons?

As soon as you receive your summons letter, please log in to the juror website and:

• enter your banking details to receive jury service payments
• check and, if needed, update your contact details
• activate SMS notifications to stay up to date with the status of your jury service. This is important as dates and times of your attendance can change.

After 4.30pm on the day before you are required to attend:

• check that you are still required to attend by visiting the juror website and logging in to your profile using your juror number and date of birth. You can also check your attendance requirements by calling the Juror Information Line on 1300 780 199. If you are required to attend on a Monday, the information will be available from the Friday prior, after 4:30pm.

Do I have to turn up at court?

You must attend court unless you have received confirmation that you are not required, or you have been excused from jury service.

If you do not attend court, you will be sent a fine of up to $2,200. You may appeal the fine if you have a valid explanation for failing to attend. Your explanation must be supported by documentation.

You also have the option to have this fine reviewed by a Magistrate at a Local Court. However, if the review is unsuccessful the Magistrate may impose the maximum fine of $2,200. If the fine is not paid the penalty will be transferred to Revenue NSW, which can result in an increase in the fine amount to be paid. 

Attending court on your summons date

After passing through security screening at the courthouse you will be shown to a dedicated jury area and asked for proof of identification and your jury summons notice. 

You will then be handed a juror card with a number on it. Your personal details, including name and address, are not used during the jury selection process or at any time in court. You are simply known by the number on your juror card. This is to ensure your privacy and anonymity is maintained. 

The jury process and what to expect in court will be explained. You can also view this video online Welcome to jury service video

For more information about what to expect, please see our Fact sheet – Attending court for jury service (PDF, 179.1 KB).

What do I do if I cannot attend on the summons date?

Ensure you apply for excusal as soon as possible and before the summons date. You can also request to be excused on the day you attend court. For further information see 'How do I apply to be excused from jury service?'