Secretary of State for Justice, David Lammy, has announced that jury trials in England and Wales for crimes that carry a potential sentence of fewer than three years will be abolished. Lammy states that this forms part of the Labour government’s plans to tackle delays and backlogs in the current court system. Whilst not strictly an intellectual property matter, this news covers a wider range of law reform that impacts an element of trials that has been present since the conception of the Magna Carta in 1215.
There has been much discussion in respect of the changes, with many speaking out both in favour and against them. For instance, a national survey of barristers claims that scrapping jury trials for most crimes would not directly address the backlog of cases, and empirical evidence has been produced that shows ethnic minorities typically receive fairer treatment from juries than magistrates. Lammy has also been historically recorded as stating that cutting juries would be a mistake.
On the other hand, the Chief Executive of the Magistrates’ Association Tom Franklin has praised the increased powers granted to magistrates as being a “big vote of confidence”, though more resources would need to be allocated for the courts to fully address the current delays.
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