Right to Jury Trial in England and Wales to Be Restricted in Some Cases

The British government announced on Tuesday plans to restrict the rights of some defendants to a jury trial in England and Wales, as it seeks to reduce a yearslong backlog of cases in the criminal courts.
In a statement to Parliament, David Lammy, the justice secretary, said he would create new “swift courts” for defendants facing a likely prison sentence of three years or less, where judges alone would decide on their guilt or innocence.
Mr. Lammy called the proposed changes, which have to be approved by lawmakers, “bold but necessary,” and added, “Jury trials will continue to be the cornerstone of the system for the most serious offenses.”
The proposals would not apply to crimes such as murder, rape and robbery, Mr. Lammy said, arguing that Britain’s current jury system was out of step with comparable countries and saying that the changes were necessary to deal with an “emergency” in the courts and to ensure justice for victims.
The announcement is intended to speed up resolution in criminal cases, some of which are set to go to trial in 2029 because of longstanding delays. Almost 80,000 cases are waiting to be heard in the Crown Court, where the most serious crimes are heard in England and Wales, a backlog that has more than doubled since 2019.
Last year, the Labour government asked a retired senior judge, Brian Leveson, to conduct the independent review into the crisis in criminal courts.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.