Burnham scraps controversial plans to curb jury trials
The backlog - which has led to record delays for defendants and victims - currently stands at nearly 81,000 cases - having rocketed largely thanks to cuts before the pandemic and court closures during the national lockdowns. Official projections have estimated it could reach 100,000 before the next general election and, in a worst case scenario, climb to double that number by 2035. There are, however, indications the backlog is now stabilising after the government committed unlimited funding to pay for more judges to sit in courts that were otherwise being unused.
- ▪The backlog - which has led to record delays for defendants and victims - currently stands at nearly 81,000 cases - having rocketed largely thanks to cuts before the pandemic and court closures during the national lockdowns.
- ▪Official projections have estimated it could reach 100,000 before the next general election and, in a worst case scenario, climb to double that number by 2035.
- ▪There are, however, indications the backlog is now stabilising after the government committed unlimited funding to pay for more judges to sit in courts that were otherwise being unused.
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| Publication time | Sun, 04 Oct 2026 03:07:30 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-10-04T03:09:46.274Z |
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Burnham scraps controversial plans to curb jury trialsImage source, Getty ImagesByGeorge WrightPublished2 minutes agoByDominic CascianiHome and Legal CorrespondentPrime Minister Andy Burnham has scrapped controversial plans to curb some jury trials.Sir Keir Starmer's government had introduced proposals to allow judges to make the sole decision on cases that would lead to a sentence of less than three years.The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said only complex fraud and financial offences would be judge-alone - and it proposes that thousands of medium-level crimes should stay with volunteer magistrates, who sit without a jury.Justice Secretary Alex Norris said he had changed course came after hearing the "strength of feeling".
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