Overview
- The government announced a U‑turn on Sunday, keeping juries for most Crown Court cases and restricting judge‑only trials to select complex fraud and financial matters.
- Justice Secretary Alex Norris said he changed course after strong opposition from lawyers and MPs and will put the narrower measures into the Courts and Tribunals Bill when it returns to Parliament.
- Ministry of Justice figures show the Crown Court backlog stood at nearly 81,000 cases at the end of June, and ministers warned the backlog will continue to rise until new legislation is passed and implemented.
- The package still includes giving courts final say over some 'either‑way' venue decisions and increasing magistrates’ sentencing powers, steps legal bodies warn could push thousands of sensitive cases into under‑resourced magistrates’ courts.
- The reforms trace to Sir Brian Leveson’s review; ministers plan extra funding, technology and an impact assessment including independent scrutiny of ethnic effects as they press the wider efficiency changes.