Lord Chancellor David Lammy has claimed that the backlog of nearly 80,000 criminal trials in England and Wales could be cleared by the mid-2030s if parliament approves plans to reduce the number of jury trials. Speaking exclusively to the Guardian from Toronto, Lammy urged Labour MPs and the public to back a Canadian-style system where a single judge hears cases involving sentences of up to three years.
The proposals, which face a backbench rebellion, would remove the right to a jury trial for defendants likely to receive three years or less, limit appeals from magistrates' courts, and extend magistrates' sentencing powers to 18 months. A new judge-only 'swift' court would also be established. Lammy argued that the reforms are necessary to halve the annual number of jury trials from 15,000 and tackle a backlog that could exceed 100,000 without action.
However, dozens of Labour MPs have expressed concerns that the changes could disadvantage working-class and minority ethnic defendants. Former shadow attorney general Karl Turner, MP for Kingston upon Hull East, broke the party whip to vote against the plans and has threatened to resign, triggering a by-election, unless the government abandons them.
Richard Atkinson, immediate past president of the Law Society, criticised the focus on judge-only trials, arguing that other solutions—such as repairing unused courts, investing in legal aid, and earlier mediation—are being ignored. He noted that Canada's system differs significantly, with time limits on trial waits and decriminalised offences, and warned that moving to single-judge courts would be a step too far from the established criminal justice system.
Lammy declined to rule out a 'sunset clause' that would allow the reforms to be reversed once the backlog is reduced, saying he is keen to listen to parliamentarians. He stressed that reform is necessary to 'save the criminal justice system and make it fit for purpose.'
