UK opts to scale back jury trials despite opposition
The UK government has announced plans to restrict the right to a jury trial in England and Wales in an attempt to turn around unprecedented backlogs and delays in justice.
London (dpa) - Jury trials in some cases will be scrapped and so-called "swift courts'" set up in England and Wales, the Justice Secretary has announced in a move that has drawn opposition from legal professionals.
Currently jury trials make up 3% of cases but this will be curbed further as David Lammy confirmed they would be reserved for ``indictable-only'' offences such as murder and rape, and lesser ``either way'' offences with a likely sentence of more than three years in prison.
"desperately needed"'.
Mr Lammy, who is also deputy prime minister, told MPs the reforms were "desperately needed"'.
The suggestion to scrap more jury trials has already faced opposition from MPs and legal professionals concerned over fairness, curtailing rights, and a lack of evidence the move will even help bring down the backlog.
The crown court backlog currently is at a record level of more than 78,000 cases and some trials are being listed as far in the future as 2030.
Currently defendants of either way offences can have their cases heard in the magistrates' court or crown court, where they can elect a jury trial. But under plans announced on Tuesday, defendants will no longer be able tochoose this option.
New "swift courts"
New ``swift courts'' will be created with a judge alone deciding verdicts intriable, either-way cases with a likely sentence of three years, Lammy has announced.
The courts system `"will take years to fix'', David Lammy said, as he described the reforms as `"bold but they're necessary'".<
Lammy said retired judge Sir Brian Leveson has been asked to do a second report on "efficiency and how we can make much better use of technology to deliver the modern and effective courts the public rightl expect''.
`"We must future-proof our approach, technology is changing almost every aspect of our lives, and the courts can be no exception,'' he said.
Fears that women will suffer
Critcism came from Diane Abbott, who is Parliament's longest continuously serving female MP, warned that women would `"undoubtedly suffer miscarriages of justice if the right to trial by jury is curtailed''.
The independent MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington continued: "I would quote from a lawyer, 'the right to trial by jury is an important factor in the delicate balance between the power of the state and the freedom of the individual."