STORY
The Government has abandoned plans for some criminal trials to be heard by a judge without a jury following opposition to the proposed reforms. Justice Secretary Alex Norris said he had heard the strength of feeling surrounding the plans and had decided to change course, meaning that juries will continue to hear more serious cases in the Crown Court.
Judge only trials will still be permitted for lengthy and technically complex fraud and financial cases. Magistrates will also be given the power to impose longer sentences, while courts rather than defendants will have the final decision over where relatively minor cases are heard. The Government said this would prevent defendants from electing a Crown Court jury trial in an attempt to delay proceedings or avoid imprisonment.
The revised measures will be added to the Courts and Tribunals Bill when it returns to the House of Commons on 13 October. Nearly 81,000 Crown Court cases are awaiting resolution, with almost a third having been outstanding for at least a year. Ministers have also proposed greater use of virtual hearings, artificial intelligence to assist with case listings and additional resources for judges, alongside an independent review of the effects of the structural reforms on ethnic minorities and people from different backgrounds.