Hayley (not her real name) was excited to be called up for jury duty, but horrified when she discovered she'd been selected for a sexual assault trial.

"I was hoping that I'd just get put on some simple little robbery or something," she said.

"The first thing I actually thought of was, what images are we going to have to see?"

Nigel served on the jury in the trial of an alleged paedophile charged with historical sex offences.

"[I was] a little apprehensive in the first instance," he said.

"But ... I felt it was an opportunity to ... assist in an outcome that might make a circumstance which is rather unpleasant and sad ... better."

Most jurors find it stressful

Hundreds of thousands of Australians are summonsed for jury service each year.

They front up to their local court and their number may or may not be randomly selected.

Some people, such as lawyers and police officers, are automatically exempt; others may have a valid reason to be excused.

But each week ordinary Australians, including those who've never set foot in a courtroom, take a solemn oath before being thrust into what can be one of the most stressful or traumatic experiences of their lives.

Jurors promise to deliver a true verdict according to the evidence. ( ABC News )

Professor Jane Goodman-Delahunty, from the School of Psychology at Charles Sturt University, said 70 per cent of jurors reported some form of stress.

It could include financial stress through a lack of adequate remuneration, the stress of having to deal with complex information, or the disruption to daily work and family life.

"The normal conversations you might have with your family are disrupted if you're not allowed to discuss what has transpired in court with other than the jurors, " she said.

Then there's the evidence itself, including "particularly gruesome evidence following violent crimes where jurors observe or learn in depth about the suffering of victims".

Photographs of the alleged rape victim disturbed Hayley.

"We had to see bruises and scratches and things on a female body, obviously seeing some personal areas," she said.

"Just seeing the results of someone being hurt, whether [the defendant was] guilty or not guilty, those marks were there."

The burden of justice

Professor Goodman-Delahunty also cites the tensions that can arise between jurors, including in some cases bullying, and the decision-making process itself as causes of stress.

"That's sometimes called the burden of justice on the jurors," she said.

"[It's] the notion that at the end of it, you make a determination, in a criminal case, about somebody's guilt or innocence that could have very severe consequences for that individual."

Jurors have a full view of the court room during a trial. ( ABC Newcastle: Robert Virtue )

As the foreman of his jury, it was Nigel's task to announce a guilty verdict, an experience he described as "emotionally difficult".

Though convinced it was the right decision and one that provided a measure of justice and solace for the victims, he felt some sympathy for the defendant.

"He didn't have a great life and his prospects were bleak," Nigel said.

After a 10-day hearing, the defendant in Hayley's trial was found not guilty.

"I actually found it very emotional," she said.

"You're deciding someone's fate and sometimes ... not all the evidence is black and white.

"Even though I felt it was the right verdict, I actually broke down [in the court room]."

Though state and territory jurisdictions provide a free counselling service for jurors during and after a trial, a 2008 survey in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia found that only half of the jurors were aware of it.

Professor Goodman-Delahunty said court officials should ensure jurors were told about the support available and that judges in particular should warn potential jurors before distressing evidence is presented.

Despite the emotional toll of their jury service, both Hayley and Nigel would do it again.

"I'd be better prepared for it, mentally prepared for it [next time]," Hayley said.