Jury trials set to be scrapped except for most serious crimes
Most jury trials set to be scrapped in Lammy’s court overhaul
- Justice Secretary David Lammy has reportedly proposed a significant overhaul of the UK’s court system, suggesting jury trials could be limited to serious offences such as rape, murder, and manslaughter.
- Under the reported proposals, less severe offences would instead be decided by a judge, with Mr Lammy asserting there is "no right" to jury trials in the UK.
- This potential change follows the Government's delayed response to recommendations from Sir Brian Leveson's review on reforming the court system and addressing the record-high Crown Court backlog.
- A Ministry of Justice spokesperson confirmed no final decision has been taken, acknowledging a "crisis in the courts" with 78,000 cases in the backlog requiring "bold action".
- The proposals face opposition from legal professionals, including the Bar Council, who argue there is no need to curtail the right to a trial by jury, despite Sir Brian Leveson's review suggesting reform for efficiency.