I’m mainly talking about:
- Voting (at federal elections)
- Jury Duty (at a courtroom)
I know that in certain countries like Australia for example: citizens there actually have to vote otherwise they face a A$20 (12€) fine for literally not putting a vote. There was a case where a guy was sued and received a A$303 (182€) fine on top of that for disregarding the previous penalities. To me, that sounds stupid, voting shouldn’t be “forced” down on citizens, if that’s the right way to say it.
What about the scenario you receive a letter from the courts that you’re selected as a juror? Let’s say you got a letter saying that you’ve been chosen within a pool and assigned a number (like a draft lottery) whether the courts decide if you’re “fit” enough to be a juror at a trial. The thing is, has this happened to you or anyone you know in your country? If so, what is it like receiving a summons?
No forced voting in Germany and no Jury Duty (it’s crazy this is even a thing in the US). There are no EU mandates for any of that.
It’s not crazy really, there are good arguments to be made for it. We had it too in Germany until 1924: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geschworenengericht
There’s no jury, but there are Schöffen in Germany. Those are layman judges. If there are not enough volunteers it can be made mandatory for any citizen.
They are voted in for 5 years by the city council.