UK cuts down on jury trials to fast-track criminal cases, clear backlog

London, Dec 2 (PTI) The UK government on Tuesday tabled a new set of judicial reforms in Parliament that will scrap jury trials for crimes that carry a likely sentence of less than three years to fast-track the process and clear a mounting backlog of trials in England and Wales.  UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, who is also the Secretary of State for Justice, told the House of Commons that new "swift courts” are necessary to tackle an “emergency” within a “crumbling” judicial system that the Labour government inherited from the former Conservative-led administration.

Jury trials for the most serious crimes such as rape, murder, aggravated burglary, blackmail, people trafficking, grievous bodily harm and serious drugs offences will continue to be guaranteed by law.  “This government inherited a justice system in crisis – victims are waiting far too long to get their case to court, and even more are being let down by a system that allows nefarious defendants to try and game the system," said Lammy.  “The crumbling system we inherited has resulted in a Crown Court backlog of nearly 80,000 and rising. Justice delayed is justice denied. This is not acceptable. Today I have set out a bold blueprint for a modern justice system that works for – not against – victims – one that is faster, fairer and finally capable of giving brave survivors of crime the justice they deserve," he said.  Lammy described his reforms as "bold” while admitting that it will take time to “turn the tide on the rising backlog”.  “But these measures are necessary to tackle the emergency in our courts. We are putting victims before tradition for tradition’s sake and fairness before those who want to game the system," he said.  Under the changes, new 'Swift Courts' will see cases with a likely sentence of three years or less heard by a judge alone – a move estimated to take 20 per cent less time than a jury trial.

Such judge-only trials for particularly “technical and lengthy fraud and financial offences” will free up jurors from giving up months to hear burdensome and complex cases.  Magistrates at the lower court level will be handed greater powers to deliver sentences of up to 18 months or even two years so that Crown Court time can be freed up for the most serious offences.   The Ministry of Justice said that currently, over a quarter of all criminal cases are open for a year or more, with violent and sexual offences accounting for almost half of those, up from around a third in 2019.

These cases are often complex and take longer to be heard, putting inevitable pressure on the outdated court system, the ministry said.  Due to these backlogs and trial delays, six out of 10 victims of rape are reportedly withdrawing from prosecutions.  “I’ve seen first-hand how the delays we’ve inherited have had real-world impacts on victims who end up feeling paralysed and re-traumatised as their cases drag on," said barrister Sarah Sackman, UK Minister for Courts and Legal Services.  “We’ve already invested record amounts but it’s clear that money alone is not enough. This reform is vital to ensuring that victims are able to move forward with their lives," she said.  The government also indicated plans for a funding boost so that judges can sit more days in the Crown Court to help clear the backlog, and criminal legal aid advocates will get up to a 34 million pounds funding increase every year.

This comes on top of an up to 92 million pounds per year boost for criminal solicitors confirmed earlier this week, the Ministry of Justice said. It also confirmed a half-billion-pound investment in specialist services that offer "practical and emotional" support to victims and witnesses. PTI AK  GRS GRS