Britain Drops Judge-Only Trial Plan as Court Backlog Hits Record
Ministers have abandoned a broad expansion of judge-only criminal trials. Almost 81,000 Crown Court cases are still waiting, and narrower changes to venue and sentencing remain.
On 4 October, the government dropped plans to move a wider class of criminal cases from juries to judge-only trials. The Ministry of Justice said it would remove the proposal from the Courts and Tribunals Bill, due back in the Commons on 13 October. The earlier plan covered cases expected to carry sentences of less than three years, according to Reuters.
The backlog is serious. The Ministry says almost 81,000 Crown Court cases are waiting for justice, with nearly a third waiting at least a year. Victims and defendants both pay for delay. A crowded docket does not make public participation in a trial an administrative luxury.
The Ministry says it will resource judges, invest in technology, use AI to support case listing and expand virtual hearings.
From the analysisThe retreat protects a practical check on state power. A jury shares the decision about guilt with citizens rather than concentrating it in one official. Court reform should be judged by whether it delivers timely hearings while protecting trusted adjudication. Years of waiting can damage confidence for witnesses, defendants and victims alike.
The remaining package still allows technical and lengthy fraud and financial cases to be heard without a jury. The government also plans to give courts the final say over where some less serious cases are heard and to expand magistrates' sentencing powers. Reuters reports that lawyers warn those changes could keep jury access under pressure and move delay into magistrates' courts.
A narrow exception for complex, lengthy cases is easier to justify than a general sentencing-based removal of juries, but it should be justified openly and applied carefully. The state should publish which cases enter the exception and how long they take, so efficiency claims can be checked against outcomes.
The courts need capacity and reliable case management. The Ministry says it will resource judges, invest in technology, use AI to support case listing and expand virtual hearings. Those measures should come with public targets for waiting times and cases resolved, broken down by court and case type. Parliament should be able to test whether the changes reduce delay while preserving meaningful jury access. Faster justice and due process belong in the same reform.
The Semaform
The Ministry of Justice has dropped plans for a broader expansion of judge-only criminal trials from its Courts and Tribunals Bill.
Jury participation is a practical check on state power. Court reform should cut delay through capacity, better listing and case management, with public targets.
Technical and lengthy fraud cases may still be tried without a jury. Venue decisions and magistrates' sentencing powers will also change, leaving concerns about jury access and where delay falls.
Sources
- UK Ministry of Justice, Justice reforms to be rolled out faster as Justice Secretary sets out changes to Courts Bill, 4 October 2026
- Reuters, Britain scraps heavily criticised plans to curb jury trials after backlash, 4 October 2026
- BBC News, Burnham scraps controversial plans to curb jury trials, 4 October 2026
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