More than 3,200 lawyers, including 300 senior barristers, have written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging him to abandon plans to reduce jury trials in England and Wales. The letter, coordinated by the Bar Council, describes the proposals as “unpopular, untested and poorly evidenced.”
The legal professionals argue that the reform would not address the root cause of the court backlog, citing the independent Leveson review which identified “chronic underfunding” as the main issue. The letter states: “We fully support and share the government’s aim of bringing down the backlog… but juries have not caused this crisis.”
The government faces a significant backbench rebellion, with more than 65 Labour MPs reportedly considering voting against the bill. Justice Secretary David Lammy has failed to persuade Labour MP Karl Turner, who had previously coordinated a letter from 38 MPs opposing the changes. Turner said he was “absolutely not” convinced after meeting Lammy on Monday night.
Lammy has defended the reforms, warning that without them, criminals would walk free due to the soaring backlog – from 38,000 crown court cases in 2019 to nearly 80,000 now. In a letter to the justice secretary, Jo Hamilton, a victim of the Horizon scandal, said the changes would “further erode trust in the establishment”, noting she was convicted without a jury after being coerced into a guilty plea.
The Conservatives are expected to force a vote against the bill’s second reading on Tuesday. Courts Minister Sarah Sackman could not confirm whether rebel Labour MPs would lose the whip, but said dissenting voices would help “scrutinise and improve the bill.”
