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[POLITICS] · United Kingdom · 5 sources

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Part of situation: UK criminal justice reform and jury trial controversy (2 clusters)

UK Government reverses plan to scrap jury trials

jury trials legal aid criminal justice reform magistrates' courts means-test overhaul

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has abandoned plans to scrap jury trials for thousands of Crown Court cases following significant backlash from legal professionals and campaigners. The reversed proposal would have allowed judge-only trials for either-way cases with likely sentences of three years or less. While the government has scrapped this specific measure, ministers still intend to proceed with plans that would remove a defendant's right to choose a jury trial for certain either-way offences and increase the sentencing powers of magistrates.

Separately, the Law Society of England and Wales is urging the government to overhaul legal aid means tests. The Society notes that eligibility thresholds have not been updated since 2009, causing access to justice to erode as the proportion of the population eligible for legal aid fell from approximately 50% in 2000 to 19% in 2022. They are specifically calling for reforms to support victims of domestic abuse and to ensure financial thresholds are regularly adjusted in line with inflation.

Campaigners, including the group Defend Our Juries, have expressed cautious optimism regarding the jury trial reversal but remain concerned about the expanded role of magistrates and the potential for further limitations on the right to a jury trial.

Entities

Alex Norris · Andy Burnham · Bar Council · Criminal Bar Association · Defend Our Juries · Law Society of England and Wales · Ministry of Justice · Truro

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Certain complex financial cases will be permitted to be heard by a single judge alone.
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] There are currently 81,000 criminal cases awaiting justice, with nearly one-third waiting for a year or longer.
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] The government will grant magistrates the power to issue longer sentences.
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] The government is changing course on increasing judge-alone trials in the Crown Court to address judicial backlogs.
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] Courts will have the final authority to determine where cases are heard, removing the right for defendants to elect a jury trial in Crown Court for certain minor crimes.
  • [● 2 SOURCES] Campaigners expressed concern that the expanded role of magistrates may still limit jury trials. www.bude-today.co.uk · www.cornish-times.co.uk

Sources

Law Society calls for Burnham's government to implement overdue legal aid means-test overhaul [todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk]
Government drops controversial plan to scrap jury trials [www.thejusticegap.com]
Truro campaigners cautiously celebrate jury trial U-turn [www.cornish-times.co.uk]
Truro campaigners cautiously celebrate jury trial U-turn [www.bude-today.co.uk]
Labour's band-aid won't save the justice system from collapse [www.cityam.com]