Victims' Groups Urge Lammy to Rethink Jury Trial Cuts

0:00On March 17th, 30 organizations supporting victims of violence against women and girls have urged Justice Secretary David Lamy to abandon plans that would cut back on jury trials in England and Wales. These changes aim to clear a massive backwag of 80,000 crown court cases, which officials warned could balloon to 200,000 by 2035. The bill would eliminate jury trials for either way offenses likely to result in sentences under three years, shifting them to magistrates or single. Judges Victims groups worry this would erode trust in the justice system, especially for women and girls who sometimes face charges themselves due to their abuse. They argue juries provide a fairer check with diverse perspectives from 12 peers, unlike lone judges where biases might play a bigger role. Concerns also highlight diversity gaps, with only 36% of circuit judges being women and 10% from ethnic minorities. Studies show single judges may hand out harsher sentences to black, Asian, and mixed ethnicity

1:02defendants, while juries tend to avoid such patterns. This push comes amid long waits for rate cases, yet groups say swapping jury trials diverts focus from real fixes for survivors on both sides of the court room. The debate underscores how jury rights remain a key safeguard for fair justice moving forward.