Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland revealed last week that legislation to allow trial without jury in certain categories of cases is being seriously considered.
A coalition of Young Legal Aid Lawyers, Society of Black Lawyers and other groups said this week that ‘abolishing juries for either-way offences under the guise of a COVID-19 emergency response is disingenuous and a threat to the integrity of our criminal justice system’, in a statement that highlighted the lack of judicial diversity.