Tue Dec 02 14:41:11 UTC 2025: Summary:
Faced with a massive backlog in the UK court system, Justice Secretary David Lammy is proposing reforms that would limit the right to a jury trial in England and Wales. Under the plan, only defendants accused of serious crimes like murder or rape, or cases meeting a “public-interest” test, would be tried by a jury. Other cases, particularly those with sentences of up to three years and complex fraud cases, would be heard in new “swift courts” by a judge alone. The move is intended to cut down on trial times and address the growing backlog of cases, exacerbated by the pandemic and years of underfunding. The reforms have sparked controversy, with critics arguing that they undermine a fundamental right and may not effectively address the root causes of the delays.
News Article:
UK to Limit Jury Trials Amid Courts Crisis; Critics Decry Erosion of Historic Right
London, UK – In a dramatic move to tackle an unprecedented backlog of cases plaguing the justice system, the UK government is set to curtail the right to a trial by jury in England and Wales. Justice Secretary David Lammy announced sweeping reforms that would reserve jury trials for the most serious offenses, such as murder, rape, and cases deemed to meet a “public-interest” threshold.
The controversial proposal aims to alleviate the strain on Crown Courts, where over 78,000 cases remain unresolved. The plan includes the creation of new “swift courts” where a judge alone would decide verdicts in cases carrying sentences of up to three years, as well as complex fraud and financial cases. Government officials claim that eliminating juries would reduce trial times by 20 percent.
“The backlog constitutes a courts emergency”, Lammy stated to Parliment. He warned that the backlog could rise to 100,000 by 2028 if it was not addressed.
The reforms have ignited a fierce debate, with legal professionals and opposition figures condemning the measure as an attack on a cornerstone of British justice. “This is a fundamental change to how our criminal justice system operates and it goes too far,” said Mark Evans, president of the Law Society of England and Wales. Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, accused Lammy of “scrapping the institution he once lauded”, referencing a past social media post in which Lammy praised jury trials.
Critics argue that the backlog stems from years of underinvestment in the courts and that removing juries would erode public trust in the justice system, particularly among marginalized communities. Concerns have also been raised about the potential for bias in judge-only trials and whether such trials can deliver comparable justice.
The reforms, which follow a review of the criminal courts system, come as the median length of cases has increased and the backlog of open cases has jumped by 10% since 2024.
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