⚖️ Can I take time off work for jury service in Ireland?

Yes

Quick answer

Yes — and crucially, your employer must keep paying you while you serve. If you're called for jury service you generally must attend, and by law your employer must continue to pay you as normal; the time off doesn't reduce your annual leave. You can apply to be excused or deferred for good reason (illness, essential work, recent service), but you can't simply ignore a summons. Separately, Irish law gives other emergency leave: force majeure leave for a sudden family crisis is paid, up to 3 days in 12 months or 5 days in 36 months; and leave for medical care gives 5 days unpaid a year to care for a close relative with a serious condition. In short: yes — jury service is paid by your employer, with extra family-emergency leave available too.

📋 The rules

You generally must attend jury service if summoned
Your employer keeps paying you as normal
It doesn't reduce your annual leave
Force majeure leave: up to 3 paid days/12 months
Medical-care leave: 5 unpaid days/12 months

🔓 Exceptions

You can apply to be excused or deferred for a good reason
Force majeure doesn't cover a planned absence or a death
Compassionate (bereavement) leave is at the employer's discretion

⚠️ Penalties & fines

Your employer must keep paying you as usual during jury service, and it can't be taken out of your holidays. For force majeure leave (a sudden family crisis), you get up to 3 paid days in 12 months or 5 in 36 months, applied for in writing on return with your PPS number and relationship to the person. Leave for medical care is 5 days unpaid a year, with no minimum service. Disputes over force majeure or jury pay go to the WRC within 6 months. Failing to attend jury service without being excused can be treated as contempt of court, with a possible fine. Beware a myth: "your employer doesn't have to pay you for jury service" is false — in Ireland the law requires your employer to keep paying you as usual while you serve. To manage it: tell your employer when summoned, and apply to be excused only if you have a genuine reason.

📎 Official sources

Last verified: 2026-06-20

❓ Frequently asked

Does my employer have to pay me for jury service?

Yes. In Ireland, the law requires your employer to continue paying you as normal while you're serving on a jury. The time off for jury service also doesn't come out of your annual leave. This is different from some other countries, where jury pay isn't guaranteed by employers.

Can I get out of jury service?

You generally must attend if summoned, but you can apply to the court to be excused or to defer your service for a good reason — such as illness, essential work commitments, or having served recently. You can't simply ignore a summons, as failing to attend without being excused can be treated as contempt of court.

What is force majeure leave?

Force majeure leave is paid leave for an urgent family crisis, such as the sudden illness or injury of a close family member, where your immediate presence is indispensable. You can take up to three days in any 12 consecutive months, or up to five days over 36 months. It doesn't cover planned absences or a bereavement.

Is there leave to care for a sick relative?

Yes. Separate from force majeure, leave for medical care gives you up to five days of unpaid leave in any 12 months to care for a child, spouse, partner, parent, grandparent, sibling or housemate with a serious medical condition. There's no minimum service requirement, but the leave is unpaid.

What if my employer won't pay or refuses leave?

If your employer doesn't pay you for jury service, or wrongly refuses force majeure leave, you can bring a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission, generally within six months of the dispute. The WRC can award redress. It's best to keep records and put requests in writing where you can.

🔎 Common searches

What people search to land here:

“jury service pay ireland”
“time off for jury service ireland”
“force majeure leave ireland”
“leave to care for sick relative ireland”
“jury service employer pay ireland”
“get excused from jury service ireland”