Politics Home | Labour MP Says “Harmful” Jury Trial Reforms Are A “Distraction” As Rebellion Grows

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Writing in The House on Friday, Labour MP Cat Eccles said that the proposal is “not only misguided but harmful”, and that the focus should be on addressing “chronic underinvestment, poor coordination, and systemic inefficiencies” in the justice system.

The MP for Stourbridge said she had recently visited Birmingham Crown Court, the second-largest court in the country, where one barrister told her: “You won’t find a single person in this building who thinks juries are an issue.” 

Justice Secretary David Lammy has said that the reforms are a bold but necessary way to help tackle the national court backlog in England and Wales.

Under the changes, announced by the Labour government in December, juries would no longer be used for crimes with sentences of less than three years. More extreme offences, such as rape and murder, will still be put before a jury, however.

The government has sought to stress that around three-quarters of all trials going to the Crown Court will continue to be heard by juries under the proposals, and points to the fact that many countries, including Sweden, Canada and France, only use juries in some cases.

However, ministers are seemingly facing a growing Labour backbench rebellion.

This week, Labour MPs tabled an amendment to the Courts and Tribunals Bill, putting forward plans to introduce specialist rape courts, which would have both a jury and a specialist judge. The amendment, revealed by The Times, is reported to have the support of as many as 90 Labour MPs, and is seen as the main route to “kill off” the jury trials policy.

The proposals are in the name of Charlotte Nichols, the Labour MP who waived her right to anonymity last month and spoke publicly for the first time about being raped, accusing Lammy of “weaponising” the experiences of others like herself to push through the reforms.

It is supported by Labour MP Stella Creasey, who said on Thursday that it was possible to “cut the backlog and improve the experience of victims in our courts without compromising due process”.

Writing in The House, Eccles listed what she described as the actual reasons for delays in the legal system, citing unused courtrooms, long distances between prisons and court buildings where defendents’ cases are heard, and cases being listed before they are ready for trial.

“Ultimately, the focus on jury trials as the cause of court delays is a distraction,” she wrote.

“The real issues lie in chronic underinvestment, poor coordination, and systemic inefficiencies that span the entire justice process. Reform is undoubtedly needed, but it must target these root causes, not one of the system’s most vital safeguards.”

Veteran MP Karl Turner recently lost the Labour Party whip after weeks of voicing strong opposition to the jury reforms and severe criticism of the Keir Starmer government.

However, party sources insisted that his suspension was over a pattern of behaviour, not a specific incident.