No-jury trials: a radical solution to courts backlog

'Bold' proposal for jury-less courts backed by chief justices but opposed by barristers and solicitors

Photo composite illustration of a judge, gavel and jury
'Really bold and really radical' measures are needed to bring down the huge backlog of cases awaiting trial, the government has warned
(Image credit: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images)

The automatic right to trial by jury could be denied to defendants accused of all but the most serious crimes, under new justice plans for England and Wales proposed by the government.

It's an "idea whose time has probably come", Courts Minister Sarah Sackman told The Times. Jury trial "will always be a cornerstone of British justice for the most serious cases" but "really bold and really radical" measures are needed to bring down the huge backlog of cases awaiting trial.

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