Lammy’s cuts to jury trials could have ‘far-reaching’ effect on race relations, say MPs
Summary
A group of UK MPs say David Lammy’s plan to change how some criminal trials work could hurt trust between the black community and the justice system. The plan would remove the right for some defendants to choose a jury trial, which black defendants are more likely to want. The MPs also highlight very low numbers of black judges in higher courts.Key Facts
- David Lammy, UK deputy prime minister and justice secretary, plans to remove the right to choose a jury trial in certain mid-level criminal cases.
- Black defendants in England and Wales choose jury trials more often than other groups (26% vs. 15% for white defendants).
- MPs warn this change could increase mistrust in the justice system among the black community and other groups.
- Only 1% of crown court judges are black, a figure unchanged since 2015.
- MPs call for the government to set a clear national goal to increase black representation among senior judges by 2035.
- The planned reforms would shift thousands of trials away from juries to judges and magistrates.
- The magistrates’ court system may not be ready for the extra cases, with recruitment and retention challenges.
- Some MPs and lawyers oppose the changes, worrying about fairness and court capacity.
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