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Michael Zander KC on the Justice Committee’s report on the Bill to cut jury trials
- In its recent report on the Courts and Tribunals Bill, the Justice Committee did not reject the government’s jury trial reforms but raised serious concerns about magistrates’ courts’ capacity and recommended substantial amendments to the Bill.
- The report also warns of equality and diversity issues, highlighting the lack of Black judges and calling for reforms to improve judicial representation.
Controversy rages over the first seven clauses of the Courts and Tribunals Bill which enshrine the government’s proposal to cut jury trials.
The Justice Committee report on the Bill (published 10 June) does not challenge the central proposals. The committee’s five Labour Party members defeated an amendment moved by the three other members (two Conservative, one Liberal Democrat) disapproving the Bill’s first seven clauses.
For the Ministry of Justice, that was the good news. The not-so-good news was that the committee’s 109-page report points out serious problems and recommends a raft of changes to the Bill. The most serious
