Prime Minister Andy Burnham has scrapped plans introduced by the previous government to allow judges rather than juries to decide cases leading to sentences of less than three years, after hearing strong opposition. The Ministry of Justice proposed moving thousands of medium-level crimes back to volunteer magistrates without a jury, but Justice Secretary Alex Norris reversed this decision due to public outcry over eroding the 800-year-old right to trial by jury. This move is seen as a victory for those defending trial by jury, though Norris remains committed to reducing court backlogs which currently stand at nearly 81,000 cases.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
- Published
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has scrapped controversial plans to curb some jury trials.
asserted
Burnham → publish → trials
Sir Keir Starmer's government had introduced proposals to allow judges to make the sole decision on cases that would lead to a sentence of less than three years.
asserted
that → introduce → years
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said only complex fraud and financial offences would be judge-alone - and it proposes that thousands of medium-level crimes should stay with volunteer magistrates, who sit without a jury.
asserted
who → say → jury
Justice Secretary Alex Norris said he had changed course came after hearing the "strength of feeling".
asserted
he → say → feeling
Criminal lawyers have welcomed the decision and the Conservatives say it is a "major victory" for those who fought to defend trial by jury.
asserted
who → welcome → jury
Former Justice Secretary David Lammy first announced the plans in December following a recommendation in a major review of the court system in England and Wales.
asserted
Lammy → announce → England
The series of radical reforms, including scaling back jury trials, were presented as the best way of turning around record backlogs which, in turn, were exacerbating the prison population crisis.
asserted
which → include → crisis
The backlog - which has led to record delays for defendants and victims - currently stands at nearly 81,000 cases - having rocketed largely thanks to cuts before the pandemic and court closures during the national lockdowns.
asserted
which → lead → lockdowns
Official projections have estimated it could reach 100,000 before the next general election and, in a worst case scenario, climb to double that number by 2035.
uncertain
it → estimate → 2035
There are, however, indications the backlog is now stabilising after the government committed unlimited funding to pay for more judges to sit in courts that were otherwise being unused.
asserted
that → be → courts
Under the original plans, Lammy had wanted to reserve jury trials for the most serious "indictable" offences - meaning cases that are always sent to Crown Court, including murder and rape.
asserted
that → want → murder
Less serious offences, where the sentence would be no more than three years, would be decided without a jury in the Crown Court by a judge alone.
asserted
sentence → decide → judge
Even less serious offences would stay in magistrates' courts, abolishing defendants' right to ask for a trial by jury when they feel that is their best chance of beig cleared.
asserted
that → stay → jury
The proposals triggered an outcry across many parts of the criminal justice world, with many opponents saying that eroding the 800-year-old right to trial by jury would not solve the backlogs.
asserted
eroding → trigger → backlogs
'Swifter justice'
Norris said that he remained committed to bringing down the backlog and delivering swifter justice.
asserted
he → say → justice
But he added: "I have heard the strength of feeling on the proposals for increasing the number of judge-alone trials in the Crown Court and have made the decision to change course.
asserted
I → add → course
"This allows us to start that work far earlier, ensuring that under this government we do not have victims waiting endlessly for justice.
asserted
victims → start → justice
"Justice delayed is justice denied, and I am committed to maximising efficiencies in our system alongside record investment.
asserted
I → delay → investment
I remain committed to structural reform which is crucial if we are to bring down the backlog."
asserted
we → remain → backlog
Andrew Thomas KC - chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, which represents barristers who work in crown and magistrates courts - said the profession was "delighted".
asserted
profession → represent → courts
"Justice needs juries," he said.
asserted
he → need → juries
"Nothing inspires more public trust than 12 ordinary citizens from all walks of life deciding the facts of a case together.
asserted
citizens → inspire → case
We are also pleased that the government is going ahead with important changes in the bill to protect victims and witnesses at trial.
asserted
government → go → trial
These include new powers to prevent unfair questioning about a complainant's behaviour and to support witnesses to give their best evidence.
asserted
These → include → evidence
But Thomas warned that plans to keep more middle-ranking cases before magistrates by abolishing defendants' rights to ask for a jury trial could backfire - not least because of a shortage of magistrates.
"
uncertain
plans → warn → magistrates
The proposal to strip defendants of their right to elect a crown court trial, combined with doubling magistrates' sentencing powers to two years, would shift 25,000 cases a year - including 5,500 jury trials - out of the crown court," he said.
asserted
he → strip → court
It includes serious and sensitive cases including assaults, sexual assaults, child abuse and grievous bodily harm.
asserted
It → include → assaults
Our volunteer magistrates do an excellent job but they are completely unequipped to try complex, multi-day trials.
asserted
they → do → trials
"It would be a car crash if they tried to do it, especially at this time."
asserted
they → try → time
Barrister Karl Turner, a Labour MP who was suspended from the parliamentary party after he criticised the government's plans to reform jury trials, thanked Burnham "for his support during my campaign".
asserted
he → suspend → campaign
Shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy said: "This is a major victory for everyone who fought to defend trial by jury, and Conservatives led that fight from day one.
asserted
Conservatives → say → day
Labour have been forced to abandon its central attack on jury trials in the Crown Court."
asserted
Labour → force → Court
The Aporia
