UK Plan Curtails Jury Trials for Mid-Level Crimes as Government Pushes 'Swift' Judge-Only Courts

Overview

• The plan would send cases carrying sentences of up to three years — such as fraud, robbery and some drug offenses — to new jury-free swift courts.
• Juries would remain for murder, manslaughter, sexual assault, people trafficking, grievous bodily harm and prosecutions deemed in the public interest.
• The government cites nearly 80,000 Crown Court cases waiting and projections of 100,000 by 2028, including 13,238 sexual offense cases, as the rationale.
• Thirty-nine Labour backbenchers urged a U-turn in a letter to Keir Starmer, arguing courts should be given more sitting days rather than curbing juries.
• Senior lawyers and MPs dispute statistics used to justify the shift and press for published modeling, as ministers say an impact assessment will accompany the bill.