A Labour MP has launched a blistering attack on Sir Keir Starmer and Justice Secretary David Lammy over controversial plans to scrap jury trials for some offences, breaking the party whip for the first time in his parliamentary career.
Rebel MP Condemns 'Shameful' Policy Shift
Karl Turner, the MP for Kingston-upon-Hull East and a former barrister, told Times Radio he was "absolutely stunned" by the policy and had sent a text message to the Prime Minister saying he "ought to be ashamed of himself." Mr Turner, who entered Parliament in 2010, directed equal fury at Mr Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister, stating he was "completely ashamed" of him.
The rebellion centres on proposals to establish "swift courts" in England and Wales where certain cases would be heard by a judge alone, rather than by a jury. The government, led by Mr Lammy, argues the radical move is necessary to tackle the Crown Court backlog, which has ballooned to nearly 80,000 cases and is projected to hit 100,000 by 2028.
Mr Turner was the sole Labour MP to vote against the proposals during a Conservative opposition day motion on Wednesday, which the government defeated by 290 votes to 182. He insisted that removing the right to a jury trial was "not something the Labour Party believes in."
Lammy Accused of Falling for 'Civil Servants' Trick'
In a scathing critique, Mr Turner accused the Justice Secretary of being naive. "Lammy is the Justice Secretary who's fallen for the civil servants' trick," he claimed. "Every single justice secretary for the last two decades has been asked by officials to do away with some jury trials, but David Lammy is the fool who fell for the trick."
He expressed bewilderment that Sir Keir, a former human rights lawyer, was advancing a policy he "ought to be raving mad about." Mr Turner warned that the plan would not speed up justice as intended, arguing that a single judge would still have to write detailed reasoned judgments, which is "not a short process." He added that "every single barrister in the criminal justice system is saying it's a bad idea and it won't work."
The MP told Sky News he did not expect to lose the party whip over his defiance but stated he "does not care" if he does.
What the 'Swift Courts' Plan Entails
The proposed reforms, which follow a review by retired senior judge Sir Brian Leveson, would significantly curtail the right to a jury trial. Key changes include:
- Defendants charged with "either way" offences likely to result in a sentence of up to two years would lose the right to choose a Crown Court jury trial. Their cases would be overseen by a panel of newly empowered magistrates.
- For cases where a sentence of up to three years is likely, hearings would be before a sole judge in a new Crown Court bench division.
- Judges would also sit alone in complex fraud trials requiring specialist knowledge.
- Only crimes carrying a punishment of more than three years would automatically go before a jury.
This framework means that while serious crimes like rape would retain jury trials, offences such as some sexual assaults, stalking, and sharing indecent images may not. The ability to appeal a magistrates' court verdict to the Crown Court would also be limited.
The stance marks a notable U-turn for Mr Lammy, who wrote five years ago that "criminal trials without juries are a bad idea." He now insists the reforms are "desperately needed" to end "agonising delays" for victims.
Despite the government's victory in the Commons vote, Mr Turner is confident of gathering enough Labour support to defeat the legislation if it is formally brought forward later this year. "If they're daft enough to put this legislation forward ... I'm confident we'll defeat it," he said, questioning the Prime Minister's convictions: "I don't know what Keir Starmer believes in. If he believes in this idea, I'm afraid I'm ashamed of him."
