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A group of nearly 40 Labour MPs has expressed opposition to the government’s plan to restrict jury trials. In a letter addressed to Sir Keir Starmer, these MPs—mostly from the party’s left wing but not exclusively—argue that the proposed changes will not significantly alleviate the current backlog in court cases. They emphasize that curtailing a fundamental legal right for an uncertain and potentially minor effect on reducing delays would be reckless and likely cause more complications.
Sir Keir Starmer has responded to these concerns by pointing out that jury trials already represent only a small fraction of criminal court proceedings. During a recent session in the House of Commons, he reassured Karl Turner, who coordinated the letter, by affirming that jury trials will continue to be central to handling the most serious crimes. The group opposing the plan features prominent Labour figures such as Diane Abbott, former party whip Vicky Foxcroft, and Dan Carden, leader of the Blue Labour backbench faction.
The signatories propose alternative strategies for addressing the courts’ congestion. Their suggestions include increasing the number of sitting days, appointing more barristers as part-time judges, known as Recorders, and urging the Crown Prosecution Service to consider prosecuting some backlog cases with reduced charges. These recommendations contrast with the recently announced measure by Justice Secretary David Lammy, which eliminates jury trials for offences likely to carry a sentence of less than three years in England and Wales. The new rule will also remove the right for defendants to request jury trials in cases eligible to be heard either by magistrates or a new type of Crown Court judge sitting alone.
This reform was introduced following recommendations from retired Court of Appeal judge Sir Brian Leveson, who was commissioned by the Lord Chancellor to develop solutions for the mounting backlog. The process began in December 2024, with Sir Brian warning in July that “fundamental” changes were necessary to avoid a “total system collapse.” His proposals included encouraging more out-of-court resolutions such as cautions. Justice Secretary Lammy justified the jury trial restrictions by highlighting the increasing caseloads, projecting that Crown Court cases could reach 100,000 by 2028, up from the current backlog of nearly 78,000. The resulting delays mean that suspects charged today might not face trial until 2030, a situation contributing to the withdrawal of approximately 60% of rape victims from prosecutions due to these protracted timelines
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