UK government abandons wider plan to reduce jury trials

The UK government has abandoned plans to allow judges to decide a wider range of Crown Court cases without juries, Justice Secretary Alex Norris said. The original proposals would have allowed judges to make the sole decision in cases expected to result in sentences of less than three years. The Ministry of Justice now says judge-alone trials will be used only for complex fraud and financial offences.

The government also proposes keeping thousands of medium-level crimes with volunteer magistrates, who sit without a jury. The change follows opposition from criminal lawyers and others who argued that reducing jury trials would weaken a long-standing safeguard without resolving court delays. Mr.

Norris said he had heard the strength of feeling about increasing judge-alone trials and had decided to change course. He said the government remained committed to reducing the backlog and delivering faster justice. The proposals were first announced by former Justice Secretary David Lammy in December as part of reforms intended to address severe delays in England and Wales.

The Crown Court backlog currently stands at nearly 81,000 cases, according to the supplied material, with official projections previously warning that it could reach 100,000 before the next general election. Andrew Thomas KC, chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, welcomed the reversal and said the profession was delighted. He argued that juries inspire public trust, while also warning that transferring more cases to magistrates could create difficulties because of shortages and the complexity of some trials.

The Conservatives called the decision a major victory. Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said the government had been forced to abandon what he described as its central attack on Crown Court jury trials. Mr.

Norris said structural reform and investment were still needed to tackle the backlog.