Schöffendienst
The English phrase "jury duty" is translated into German as Schöffendienst.
Schöffendienst refers to the legal obligation of a citizen to serve as a member of a jury in a court of law.
Which one should you use?
Schöffenamt can also be used to refer to jury duty.
Did you know?
- In German courts, Schöffen are lay judges who have equal voting power to professional judges when deciding the verdict and the sentence.
- The term Schöffe is derived from the Old High German word scaffan, which means 'to create' or 'to arrange'.
- While English 'jury duty' is often seen as something to avoid, being appointed as a Schöffe is viewed as a civic honor and a significant mark of trust from the state.
Examples in context
- Ich muss nächsten Monat den Schöffendienst leisten.I have to perform jury duty next month.
- Sie hat Fragen zum Schöffendienst gestellt.She asked questions about jury duty.
Example conversation
Sarah and Maximilian are talking at the office.
- SarahKommst du morgen mit ins Kino, Maximilian?Are you coming to the cinema with me tomorrow, Maximilian?
- MaximilianLeider nicht, ich habe morgen Schöffendienst.Unfortunately not, I have jury duty tomorrow.
- SarahOh, das klingt nach viel Arbeit, Sarah.Oh, that sounds like a lot of work, Sarah.
- MaximilianJa, aber es ist eine interessante Erfahrung.Yes, but it is an interesting experience.
