David Lammy’s jury plans spark fears of tyranny as 50 MPs call for U-turn | Politics | News
David Lammy’s bombshell plan to cancel jury trials will raise fears of tyranny and “arbitrary Government”, critics have declared.
In the letter signed by more than 50 MPs, the Minister of Justice was told that people “will feel that they are being judged by a distant institution”.
And they told the Deputy Prime Minister that “the fear of arbitrary Government increases” when criminal cases are decided by the “sole authority of the state”.
Only murder, rape, manslaughter and “public interest” cases will be heard by juries as part of radical proposals to reduce the Crown Court’s backlog.
Crimes that juries will try are expected to include crimes punishable by five years or more in prison.
However, suspects accused of crimes such as theft, “serious assault”, robbery, fraud and many sexual crimes will be tried by a single judge.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick wrote the letter and it was signed by more than 50 MPs, including former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp and former Reform MP Rupert Lowe.
They said: “It will make it harder for ordinary people to feel that the justice system belongs to them, but above all it will change the relationship between the citizen and the criminal law.”
“There is no perfect way to determine guilt, but juries are the safety valve in a free society.
“They can, and sometimes do, refuse to enforce laws or cases that are contrary to common sense or morality.
“They reveal the common experience of twelve different lives. When the jury speaks, the people accept the decision, even if they don’t like it, because it is their neighbors who decide.
“Once that connection is broken, it cannot be easily reestablished. A system in which serious criminal trials are routinely prosecuted without a jury is a system in which trust is weakened, communities feel they are being judged by a distant institution, and fear of arbitrary rule increases.
“This is not a question of left or right. Many of the strongest advocates of jury trials disagree on almost every issue in politics.
“On this we agree: delegating almost all Crown Court hearings to single-serving judges is a step too far.”
All “lower-level crimes” will be heard by only one judge, meaning crimes likely to attract a prison sentence of up to five years will only be heard by judges.
The plans go well beyond the recommendations of Sir Brian Leveson, who was appointed to review the criminal courts and reported back in July.
His main recommendation was the creation of an “intermediate court” where one judge would sit with two lay judges.
Under Mr Lammy’s plans, judges’ sentencing powers are also set to be significantly increased, from the maximum prison sentence of one year to 24 months.
Prime Minister’s Chief Secretary Darren Jones claimed Magna Carta did not guarantee the right to a jury trial.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Jones said: “If we’re going to get into this, it all goes back to the Magna Carta. Magna Carta is very clear that you have the right to a timely trial. What you don’t want is to be bogged down in a system where it takes years for justice or your innocence to be proven.”
But paragraph 39 of Magna Carta states: “No freeman shall be seized, imprisoned, dispossessed, outlawed, banished, or in any way ruined, nor shall we oppose or send against him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land.”
And the Labor Secretary insisted the plan would guarantee faster trials.
