David Lammy's planned reforms to criminal courts in England and Wales could have a 'far-reaching' impact on race relations, a cross-party committee of MPs has warned. The justice select committee report, released on Wednesday, said removing the right to elect for a crown court trial 'has the potential to increase mistrust in the criminal justice system among the black community'.
The report highlighted that black defendants are more likely to elect for trial, with 26% doing so in 2022 compared to 15% of white defendants. The committee called for a 'clear national target' to increase black representation in the senior judiciary, noting that only 1% of crown court judges are black – a figure unchanged since 2015.
Andy Slaughter, Labour MP and committee chair, said: 'It is shocking that only 1% of crown court judges are black. The persistence of such stark underrepresentation demonstrates that efforts to date have failed to deliver meaningful change.' The committee also warned that the target of 21,000 magistrates by 2029 is 'unrealistic'.
The government faces potential rebellions when the courts and tribunals bill returns to the Commons. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson defended the reforms, stating they would 'get cases heard faster, protect jury trials for the most serious crimes, and set us on a path to turn the corner on the appalling backlog'.
