Over 3,200 legal professionals, including retired judges and barristers, have urged the Government to halt plans to eliminate jury trials for certain crimes. In an open letter to Justice Secretary David Lammy, they argue that the proposal, part of the Courts and Tribunals Bill, is poorly evidenced and will not resolve the court backlog. Kirsty Brimelow KC, chair of the Bar Council, said the letter “demonstrates the unequivocal opposition to the restriction of jury trials.” Signatories include leaders of the Bar Council and the Criminal Bar Association, as well as David Calvert-Smith, the former Director of Public Prosecutions. Critics highlight that decades of underfunding, not juries, have caused the backlog, which could exceed 200,000 cases by 2035. A MoJ spokesperson said: “Over 90% of all criminal cases are already heard fairly without a jury … With victims facing unacceptably long waits for justice after years of delays in our courts, we make no apologise for pressing ahead with our plans to reform the system … alongside modernising it for the 21st century with record investment.”
