The United Kingdom may implement sweeping changes that would sharply curb the right to a jury trial in England and Wales, according to an internal Ministry of Justice briefing obtained by BBC News.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, who is also secretary of state for the Ministry of Justice, is preparing a proposal that would guarantee jury trials only for defendants charged with rape, murder, manslaughter, or cases that meet a public interest threshold.
Most other serious offenses now handled in Crown Court would shift to a new tier of nonjury courts, a move the government says is aimed at easing record case backlogs.
The briefing outlines plans for a Crown Court Bench Division, an intermediate court where judges would hear cases alone for offenses carrying sentences of up to five years.
Lammy is seeking to go beyond recommendations made earlier this year by retired Court of Appeal Judge Sir Brian Leveson, who urged limiting jury trials to address a growing crisis in the criminal justice system.
More than 78,000 Crown Court cases are pending, and officials warn the backlog may exceed 100,000 without intervention.
The Ministry of Justice said no final decision has been made, but acknowledged the courts face a crisis that is delaying justice for victims and defendants.
An announcement could come in December if Lammy secures final government approval.
The proposal sparked immediate criticism from legal groups and political leaders who argue that removing juries from most serious cases would undermine public trust.
Riel Karmy-Jones KC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association, said juries are not responsible for the backlog and accused the government of years of underfunding.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called the plan a short-term move that risks fairness and weakens a central tradition of British justice.
Several former judges warned that shifting major cases to judge-only trials would mark a fundamental break with centuries of legal practice.
Critics said such a change could erode confidence in verdicts and place too much weight on a single arbiter in complex cases.
The proposals would not apply to Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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