Justice Secretary David Lammy is set to unveil sweeping reforms to the UK's criminal justice system this week, promising to put victims "front and centre" while tackling a record-high backlog of cases.
Radical Changes to Jury Trials
The proposed changes, expected to be outlined in detail in the coming days, could significantly restrict the use of jury trials in England and Wales. According to a memo obtained by The Times and written by Mr Lammy this month, juries would only preside over cases involving rape, murder, manslaughter, and matters deemed to be of significant public interest.
Lesser offences would instead be heard by a judge sitting alone, marking a dramatic shift from the current system. The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that the crown court backlog is nearing 80,000 cases and could escalate to 100,000 by 2028 without urgent intervention.
Addressing the Courts Emergency
Mr Lammy, who also serves as deputy prime minister, stated that the government had inherited a "courts emergency" with the justice system "pushed to the brink." He emphasised the human cost of delays, noting that some trials are currently being scheduled as far ahead as 2030.
"Behind every one of the thousands of cases waiting to go to trial is a human life put on hold," Mr Lammy said. "A rape victim being told their case won't come before a court until 2029. A mother who has lost a child at the hands of a dangerous driver, waiting to see justice done."
The Ministry of Justice argues that the overhaul is urgently needed to save victims from "years of torment and delay," with a growing number of alleged victims abandoning their cases due to extensive waiting times.
Political Opposition and Criticism
The potential reforms have already drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. Tory shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick condemned the proposals, stating: "The right to be tried by our peers has existed for more than 800 years – it is not to be casually discarded when the spreadsheets turn red."
Opponents have raised concerns about potential increases in miscarriages of justice and racial discrimination under the proposed single-judge trial system.
Mr Jenrick suggested alternative measures, including having courts sit "around the clock" to reduce the backlog, noting that 21,000 court sitting days have been missed this year alone.
The proposed changes build on recommendations from Sir Brian Leveson's review of the courts system, which advocated reserving juries for the most serious cases while diverting other offences to magistrates' courts or a new intermediate court featuring a judge and two lay magistrates.
The Ministry of Justice notes that currently, only about 3% of criminal cases involve a judge and jury, with over 90% already handled by magistrates without a jury.
