Justice Secretary David Lammy is embroiled in a fierce row with top legal professionals, accused of cynically distorting statistics about collapsing rape cases to justify sweeping reforms to the jury system.
Barristers Challenge Lammy's 'Inaccurate' Claims
Senior barristers have launched a scathing attack on the Justice Secretary for repeatedly claiming that 60 per cent of rape victims withdraw from cases before trial due to court delays. Several leading lawyers told the Sunday Times this assertion is misleading, as the vast majority of reported rapes are abandoned long before a charge is even brought.
Chris Henley KC condemned the claims, stating that delays or changes of heart before a charge cannot be blamed on the court backlog. "So much of what Lammy says to defend these proposals is inaccurate. He must know. It's really cynical," he said. He added that the move represented a "cowardly betrayal" of Lammy's own 2017 review on the jury system.
Andrew Thomas KC of the Criminal Bar Association warned that using figures from initial police reports "may lead to erroneous conclusions". Lawyers argue the real figure for victims withdrawing after a charge is just eight per cent, with policing delays and other factors playing a larger role pre-charge.
Radical Reforms Spark Widespread Rebellion
Lammy's controversial plans aim to abandon 800 years of tradition by introducing 'swift courts' across England and Wales. Jury trials, which currently constitute 3% of cases, would be reserved for the most serious offences like murder and rape, and lesser offences likely to incur a sentence of over three years.
The Justice Secretary insists the reforms are "desperately needed" to tackle "agonising delays", with the Crown Court backlog projected to hit 100,000 by 2028. He proposes halving jury trials from the current 15,000 a year.
However, the plans face mounting opposition. Up to 60 Labour MPs, including his predecessor Angela Rayner, are set to vote against them. The rebellion is led by Labour MP Karl Turner, who coordinated a letter branding the plans "stark raving barmy" and calling for a "more credible proposal".
Barristers Threaten Strike Action Over 'Barmy' Plans
In a dramatic escalation, criminal barristers are reportedly plotting industrial action that could "bring the courts to their knees" to destroy the reforms. Legal insiders revealed that parts of the profession are considering refusing work from the Crown Prosecution Service, which could cause a "total meltdown" of the justice system.
One barrister warned, "We will fight this. It's not going to end well for David Lammy." Another suggested senior lawyers might fail to turn up for prosecutions to make a point. The Criminal Bar Association last staged a six-month strike in 2022 over fees, which saw the backlog soar by 5,000 cases.
The Ministry of Justice has hit back, describing the lawyers' comments as "completely misleading" and maintaining that court delays are a "crucial" factor at all stages. They urge the legal profession to work with them to "fix the crisis". Tory justice spokesman Robert Jenrick said it was not too late for Lammy to change his mind and "avoid a potentially fatal defeat".
