US EditionLammy says justice reforms will reduce victims' suffering as right to jury trial set to go in some cases
Justice Secretary David Lammy aims to cut crown court backlog nearing 80,000 cases by limiting jury trials to murder, manslaughter, rape, or public interest cases.
- This month, David Lammy, Justice Secretary and deputy prime minister, proposed creating jury‑less courts in England and Wales, with juries reserved for murder, manslaughter, rape, or public interest cases,
- Facing a backlog nearing 80,000, the Ministry of Justice warns crown courts could see 100,000 cases by 2028 and some trials delayed until 2030, causing alleged victims to abandon cases.
- Building on Leveson, the memo suggests a Crown Court Bench Division pairing a judge with two lay magistrates and reports removing the lay element for offences carrying up to five years' sentences.
- ‘The right to be tried by our peers has existed for more than 800 years,’ said Mr Jenrick, criticizing proposed jury reforms amid opposition from over 100 lawyers.
- Rather than blaming juries, it suggests more court sitting days and efficiency measures, noting Swansea's nightingale court cleared backlog during Covid but closed earlier this year for cost-cutting.
15 Articles
15 Articles
David Lammy to make major statement on jury trials after latest blunder
Mr Lammy, the Justice Secretary, will on Tuesday announce plans to 'create faster routes for lower-level cases' and 'free up Crown Court time so the most serious crimes are heard swiftly and fairly'.
Why scrapping juries can help save British justice
If you are raped in London today, and you are one of the tiny minority of people with enough confidence in the system to report the attack, the trial for this horrible crime might not take place until 2030. That is unless it is postponed to even later… This unbearable wait for justice has been getting worse and worse. When I was selected as the Labour candidate for Bolsover, the first person to contact me was a woman who had waited four years an…
UK justice minister set to unveil 'sweeping' court reforms
LONDON, United Kingdom – Britain's justice minister is set Tuesday to unveil 'the most sweeping modernisation' of the courts 'in a generation', with media reporting plans to end jury trials except for the most serious crimes.
Over 100 lawyers sign open letter slamming decision to scrap Lammy's right to trial by jury
Over 100 lawyers, including 24 King’s Council, have written an open letter to David Lammy to express “deep concern” in response to the Leveson Review of the criminal courts. Leveson proposed a Crown Court Bench Division (CCBD) and judge-only trials. The review formed the basis for Lammy’s subsequent proposal to scrap jury trials in all but the most serious cases. However, the open letter urges the lord chancellor to reject these recommendations.…
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