Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signalled he will scrap plans to curtail jury trials in England and Wales. The proposals were a significant overhaul introduced by Keir Starmer's government.
Mr Burnham stated he has “concerns” about the proposals and that his “instincts” are to maintain juries at the core of the justice system. Speaking in Sheffield on Friday, he cited his experience campaigning for justice over the Hillsborough disaster as a reason for his reluctance to reduce access to jury trials.
The plans, announced by former Justice Secretary David Lammy in December, would have meant defendants likely to receive a sentence of three years or less would no longer have a jury trial. Mr Lammy had argued these measures could clear a backlog of nearly 80,000 trials within a decade.
The proposals faced opposition from legal bodies and some Labour MPs. Mr Burnham also confirmed he has asked Chief Whip Anneliese Midgley to discuss readmitting Karl Turner, a Labour MP suspended over his criticisms of the plans, to the parliamentary Labour party.