Prime Minister Keir Starmer has firmly indicated that he will not reverse course on contentious government plans to abolish certain jury trials, describing the move as a crucial step to deliver justice for victims of misogynist violence. Speaking during a diplomatic visit to China with a delegation of British business and cultural leaders, Starmer framed the issue as a personal matter of fundamental principle.
A Personal Commitment to Justice
The prime minister, who previously served as Director of Public Prosecutions, argued that tackling the severe backlog in the courts is imperative. With approximately 80,000 cases pending, some victims are facing trial dates as distant as 2030, leading many to lose faith and withdraw from the justice process altogether.
"This is a really fundamental argument of principle for me," Starmer stated. "I've been working with victims of crime for a very long time, and they have to wait too long for justice. I have given my word to campaigners on violence against women and girls, and to victims, that I will do everything within my power to make sure they get justice."
Resisting Pressure from Critics
The proposed reforms have faced intense opposition from a broad coalition, including legal experts, opposition MPs, and even members of Starmer's own Labour party. Dozens of Labour MPs and peers have joined campaigners in arguing that the changes undermine a cornerstone of the British justice system.
A recent report from the Institute for Government added to the criticism, suggesting that plans to introduce judge-only criminal trials in England and Wales would save less than 2% of time in crown courts. Despite this, Starmer appears determined to press ahead, with Justice Secretary David Lammy understood to be pushing forward with the proposals in their current form.
The Scope of the Proposed Changes
The government's plans include several key components designed to streamline the judicial process:
- Establishing a new criminal court where judges will hear cases without a jury.
- Introducing magistrates-only hearings for offences carrying a maximum sentence of two years or less.
- Implementing judge-only trials for complex fraud cases.
These proposals originated from a review conducted by Brian Leveson, who recommended a single judge sitting with two lay people in a new "bench division" of the crown court. However, Lammy has reportedly scrapped the lay element from the final plan.
Putting the Changes in Context
Starmer sought to contextualise the scale of the proposed changes, noting that the vast majority of criminal cases already proceed without jury involvement. "90% of criminal cases were already heard in the magistrates court without a jury," he explained, "and of the 10% that went to crown court, 7% pleaded guilty. So of all the criminal cases going through the system that I used to prosecute, 3% ended up as jury trials. There will be a slightly lesser percent after these changes, but that's the change that we're talking about."
The government has conducted its own impact assessment of the proposed changes but has declined to publish it until the relevant legislation is ready for parliamentary scrutiny. While some sources have suggested the plans might be diluted following the backlash, Starmer's comments during his China visit suggest a determination to implement substantial reform to address what he views as an unacceptable delay in delivering justice.
