Prime Minister Andy Burnham has decided to withdraw proposals that would have allowed judges to decide cases with potential sentences under three years without a jury. The Ministry of Justice will now limit judge-only trials to complex fraud and financial offenses, while medium-level crimes will remain with volunteer magistrates. This decision follows significant opposition from criminal lawyers and public sentiment regarding the right to trial by jury.
The backlog of cases in the justice system, currently nearing 81,000, has been exacerbated by previous cuts and pandemic-related court closures. Officials have indicated that the backlog may stabilize due to increased funding for judges, but concerns remain about the impact of keeping more cases in magistrates' courts without jury options.