Thousands of legal professionals call on PM to reconsider plans to restrict jury trials
More than 3,200 legal professionals have called on the Prime Minister to reconsider proposals to restrict jury trials, warning that the changes risk undermining a longstanding principle of the criminal justice system.
The signatories include retired judges, senior barristers, solicitors and academics, as well as more than 300 King’s Counsel and 22 former judges. In a joint letter addressed to Keir Starmer, they urged the government to “listen” to the legal profession ahead of a parliamentary debate on proposed reforms.
The letter raises concerns about provisions within the forthcoming legislation that would limit the right to jury trial in certain cases. Under the proposals, offences carrying a likely sentence of up to three years could be heard by a judge sitting alone rather than before a jury.
Among the signatories are prominent legal figures, including former Director of Public Prosecutions David Calvert-Smith, as well as representatives from across the Bar and wider legal community. Organisations and leaders associated with the Bar Council and the Criminal Bar Association have also supported the letter.
The signatories argue that the proposed changes are “unpopular, untested and poorly evidenced” and warn that pursuing them could divert time and resources away from measures that more directly address delays in the system. They highlight that legal professionals continue to manage increasing workloads to ensure that cases are heard, and urge the government to adopt reforms already identified within existing reviews.
The letter comes ahead of the second reading of the Courts and Tribunals Bill in Parliament. The proposed reforms form part of wider efforts to reduce delays within the criminal justice system, including a Crown Court backlog that currently stands at around 80,000 cases.
However, analysis from the Institute for Government suggests that judge-only trials would deliver limited time savings. Estimates indicate that such measures could reduce court time by less than 2%, assuming cases proceed more quickly without juries.
The proposals go beyond recommendations set out in the independent review of criminal courts led by Brian Leveson, which suggested alternative models for handling certain cases. The signatories also note that ministers have indicated plans to pursue jury trial restrictions irrespective of current backlog levels.
Kirsty Brimelow KC, Chair of the Bar Council, stated that the scale of support for the letter reflects widespread concern across the legal profession. She attributed pressures within the criminal justice system to long-term resource challenges rather than the operation of juries.
The letter concludes by urging the government to focus on reforms that prioritise investment in infrastructure, personnel and systems, with the aim of improving efficiency without altering the role of juries in criminal trials.