Andy Burnham scraps Starmer-era plan to curb jury trials
The Ministry of Justice said juries will stay in most Crown Court cases, with 80,829 cases still waiting at the end of June.
- On Sunday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that Britain will scrap plans to remove the right to jury trials for defendants in less serious criminal cases, responding to sustained criticism from lawyers and politicians.
- The reversal abandons a policy introduced by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and former Justice Secretary David Lammy, who had claimed the changes were 'desperately needed' to prevent 'agonising delays' in the court system.
- Ministry of Justice figures show 80,829 cases were pending at the end of June, with the backlog nearly doubling since 2020; critics including Barrister Karl Turner argued that neglect, rather than jury trials, caused delays.
- Justice Secretary Alex Norris, sworn in on Thursday, said he decided to 'change course' after hearing the 'strength of feeling' on the proposals, with juries now retained for most cases except some fraud offences.
- The Courts and Tribunals Bill will return to Parliament later this month with legislative amendments reflecting these changes, though the Law Society of England and Wales warns that record backlogs require increased capacity beyond policy shifts.
51 Articles
51 Articles
Burnham Scraps Starmer-Era Plans to Roll Back Jury Trials
Andy Burnham’s government has scrapped plans to curb jury trials, after months of outcry from lawyers, MPs and the public. New justice secretary Alex Norris said on Sunday that his government inherited a court system “on the brink of collapse” – but that the answer to driving down backlogs was not to roll back jury […]
Scrapping jury trials for fraud and financial cases brings 'serious concerns'
Government plans to push ahead with jury-free trials for certain fraud and financial proceedings raise “serious concerns”, according to the Institute for Government (IFG) and lawyers across the City. The proposal, introduced by former justice secretary David Lammy officially last December, following a recommendation in a review of the court system in England and Wales [...]
Rebel MP Hails Labour Climbdown On Scrapping Jury Trials After Backlash
Karl Turner was a fierce critic of the government's plans.A rebel MP has praised the government’s decision to ditch plans to scrap most jury trials.In a major climbdown, justice secretary Alex Norris said he was overturning his predecessor David Lammy’s controversial policy, which sparked a furious backlash.Under Lammy’s proposals, cases carrying a likely sentence of less than three years would be heard in front of a judge instead of a jury.He s…
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