Summary
The UK is changing its legal system by removing juries in certain criminal cases to address delays in court proceedings. Defendants in cases with sentences up to three years, or complex financial cases, will face a judge instead of a jury, while serious crimes will still use juries. This move comes after a report highlighted a backlog in criminal cases, influenced by issues like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Facts
- UK Justice Secretary David Lammy announced changes to jury trials in England and Wales.
- Only serious crimes such as rape, murder, and manslaughter will have jury trials.
- Other cases, like those with up to three-year sentences, will be tried without juries.
- Scotland and Northern Ireland are not affected by these changes.
- The UK government is allocating 550 million pounds for victim support services.
- A review by former judge Sir Brian Leveson recommended these changes to tackle a backlog.
- As of June, over 78,000 criminal cases are unresolved in Crown Courts.
- The backlog was caused by pandemic-related delays and underfunding of the courts.
