Burnham Scraps Jury Trial Curbs for Cases Under 3 Years After Backlash
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Oct 4
Burnham Scraps Jury Trial Curbs for Cases Under 3 Years After Backlash
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Oct 4
Summary
Justice Secretary Alex Norris said the government will drop plans for judge-only Crown Court trials in cases carrying sentences of less than three years after strong opposition across the justice system.
The reversal abandons a key part of reforms unveiled in December to cut England and Wales' court backlog, which stands at nearly 81,000 cases and had been projected to hit 100,000 before the next election.
Criminal lawyers welcomed the move, arguing jury trials underpin public trust, while Conservatives called it a major victory for campaigners defending the 800-year-old right to trial by jury.
Ministers still plan to keep more medium-level cases in magistrates' courts without juries, though critics warn shifting about 25,000 cases a year there could strain a system already short of magistrates.
The U-turn leaves the government pursuing backlog reduction through record funding for more judges and other court reforms rather than scaling back jury trials in the Crown Court.