Those transaction lawyers and civil litigators who think the rights and wrongs of the jury system do not concern them should think again. If Sir Robin Auld gets his way, lawyers will no longer be exempted from doing jury service.

Auld is also proposing to toughen up the jury selection procedures to stop middle class professionals from bunking off and creating the impression that jury service is only for those ‘not important or clever enough to get out of it’.