UK justice minister set to unveil ‘sweeping’ court reforms

London: Britain’s justice minister vowed Tuesday to unveil “the most sweeping modernisation” of the courts “in a generation”, expected to include scaling back jury trials in England and Wales.

The reforms are needed to prevent a “total collapse of trust” in the courts, justice minister David Lammy wrote in the Telegraph newspaper.

He was set to unveil the measures, intended to tackle a growing backlog of criminal trials, later on Tuesday in parliament.

The planned changes could restrict the right to a jury trial in England and Wales, guaranteeing it only for defendants facing rape, murder, manslaughter or other cases passing a public interest test, British media reported.

The mooted reforms have already prompted a backlash within the judiciary and legal profession, with more than 100 lawyers writing to the justice ministry last week expressing concerns.

“I’ve stood up for juries all of my life,” Lammy told Sky News on Tuesday. “But I don’t want the system to collapse. I want it to continue and go from strength to strength.”

The changes could see an end to the choice to opt for a jury trial for defendants in cases facing up to five years in prison, Lammy said.

Such cases could be dealt with by magistrates or a “new division” of judge-only courts in England and Wales.

The government says the backlog of outstanding criminal cases is set to reach 100,000 by 2028 unless “urgent action” is taken.

‘Fast and fair’

“I am calling time on the courts emergency that has left victims of the most serious crimes waiting years for justice and pushed the justice system to the brink of collapse,” Lammy said in a statement before his parliamentary announcement.

“We must be bold. I will set out a fast and fair justice plan that gives victims and survivors the swift justice they deserve.”

Some victims are currently waiting up to four years for “their day in court”, and over 10 percent of adult rape cases are stopped because a victim withdraws from the process, according to the justice ministry.

It said the reforms would create “faster routes for lower-level cases” and free up courts so the most serious crimes are heard “swiftly and fairly”.

Lammy will also pledge GBP550 million ($727 million) in additional funding over three years to boost support services helping victims and witnesses through the justice process.

Other measures include financially supporting training lawyers to become fully-fledged criminal barristers, with a focus on encouraging “young people from across society” to participate.

Various media outlets have reported on aspects of the plans for days, citing leaks and ministry briefings.