The government plans to abolish court hearings with juries

• It is proposed to limit the participation of juries only in serious crimes.
• There are over 78,000 cases pending in the courts.
• The proposals have drawn criticism from legal professionals.

The government of Great Britain is considering the possibility of abolishing jury trials for all but the most serious crimes, such as murder, manslaughter, and serious violent offenses. The Minister of Justice David Lammy proposes a significant reform of the court system, under which only the most serious cases would be tried by juries.

The document, which was submitted to the CJS, indicates that there will be limitations on jury participation in cases that involve penalties of up to five years. Less serious offenses may only be tried by judges. Lammy asserts that "there is no right" to jury participation in court hearings.

These proposals emerged amid the backlog of cases in the courts, where currently there are over 78,000 cases pending. The Ministry of Justice confirmed that no final decision has yet been made, but indicated the necessity of actions to address the crisis in the courts.

Lammy’s proposals have drawn criticism from legal professionals, who argue that such changes could jeopardize justice. Representatives of the legal community believe that abolishing jury trials for serious offenses will not resolve the issue of delays in the courts but will only restrict access to justice.

The reform proposed by Lammy exceeds the recommendations made by Sir Brian Leveson, who previously called for changes to the court system to enhance its effectiveness.

Tags: Europe/Politics/Crime