Archive · 4 Oct 2026
Britain Scraps Criticised Plans to Curb Jury Trials
The government has dropped a plan to remove jury trials for some less serious criminal cases.
The plan covered cases where a prison sentence was expected to be under three years.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris said he changed course after hearing strong opposition.
Many lawyers welcomed the decision.
But they remain worried about giving magistrates more power to sentence people and limiting defendants’ choice of a jury trial.
The government still plans to let judges alone hear complex fraud cases.
A review commissioned by the government rejected that idea.
Meanwhile, nearly 81,000 jury-trial cases were waiting for a hearing in England and Wales at the end of June.
The government will abandon plans to remove jury trials in cases where a likely prison sentence was under three years.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris said he changed course after hearing strong opposition to more judge-alone trials.
The government will retain plans for judges alone to hear complex fraud cases, despite a government-commissioned review rejecting the idea.
Lawyers welcomed the reversal but raised concerns about increasing magistrates’ sentencing powers and removing defendants’ right to elect jury trial.
Nearly 81,000 jury-trial cases were awaiting a hearing in Crown Courts in England and Wales at the end of June, almost double the 2020 figure.
- Who
- The British government, Justice Secretary Alex Norris, and lawyers and legal groups responding to the policy.
- What
- The government abandoned plans to curb jury trials for less serious criminal cases but retained plans for judge-only trials in complex fraud cases.
- When
- The announcement was reported on October 4; the year is not specified.
- Where
- Britain; the reported Crown Court backlog is in England and Wales.
- Why
- The government said it had heard strong opposition to increasing judge-alone trials; critics said restricting jury trials would curtail defendants’ rights and argued that under-investment contributed to court delays.
Supporters of changes
Critics of changes
Reducing jury trials
Supporters of changes
Former justice minister David Lammy said reducing jury trials would speed up justice.
Critics of changes
Lawyers argued that restrictions would curtail defendants’ fundamental right to be tried by a jury; critics said neglect and under-investment, rather than jury trials, caused delays.
Magistrates’ sentencing powers
Supporters of changes
The Ministry of Justice’s approach includes increasing magistrates’ sentencing powers.
Critics of changes
The Bar Council’s chair Kirsty Brimelow said giving magistrates greater powers while their court backlog is increasing could be counterproductive.
Judge-only fraud trials
Supporters of changes
The government retained plans for complex fraud cases to be heard by a judge alone, to avoid jurors sitting through months-long cases.
Critics of changes
A government-commissioned review rejected the idea, and the government’s reversal followed opposition to increasing judge-alone trials.
- Abandoned proposal
- Plans to curb jury trials in cases where a likely prison sentence was under three years.
- Reason given for reversal
- Alex Norris cited the strength of feeling against increasing judge-alone trials.
- Plan retained
- Complex fraud cases could still be heard by a judge alone.
- Crown Court backlog
- Nearly 81,000 cases awaiting jury trial in England and Wales at the end of June.
- Backlog comparison
- The reported number was almost double the figure in 2020.
- Other concerns
- Lawyers raised concerns about expanding magistrates’ sentencing powers and removing defendants’ right to elect jury trial.
- Reported date
- October 4; the year is not specified.
