Keir Starmer is facing a backbench rebellion over plans to reduce the number of jury trials in England and Wales, as 39 Labour MPs signed a letter describing the move as “madness”. The justice secretary, David Lammy, announced plans earlier this month to take thousands of trials away from juries to be heard instead by judges and magistrates, aiming to tackle a record court backlog.
The government and retired judge Sir Brian Leveson argue that the backlog, which has reached nearly 80,000 cases in the crown courts, is failing victims, witnesses and defendants. However, the MPs' letter urges the prime minister to reverse the plans, calling them “an ineffective way of dealing with the crippling backlog”.
Downing Street signalled it would stand firm, with Starmer’s spokesperson stating: “The scale of the crisis we inherited shows that merely tinkering at the edges is simply not enough. What is required is reform to speed up the delivery of justice.” The open caseload stood at 79,619 at the end of September, up 2% from June and 9% year-on-year.
Labour MP Karl Turner, coordinating the letter, said the plans were unworkable and unpopular, citing opposition in a Scottish consultation. He warned he would vote against the whip for the first time in 15 years, stating: “This will not work. It is just simply unworkable.” Turner added that the government was in danger of “making the mistakes of the past”.
Starmer has defended the plans, telling MPs that juries “will remain a cornerstone of our justice system for the most serious cases” and noting that jury trials already form only a small proportion of criminal trials. Lammy has warned the backlog could exceed 100,000 cases without radical changes.
