Justice Secretary David Lammy's plan to restrict jury trials to serious offenses has sparked fierce opposition from both the Conservative opposition and his own Labour MPs. Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick accused Lammy of using "baseless claims" about rape victim withdrawal rates to justify the controversial reforms, while Labour rebels say they have enough votes to defeat the government.
The plan would reserve jury trials for serious crimes like murder and rape, and offenses with a likely prison sentence exceeding three years. Cases below that threshold would be heard by a lone judge in a newly-created Crown Court Bench Division.
Jenrick attacked the statistical foundation of Lammy's proposal in the Commons debate. He said: «The Justice Secretary suggested that 60% of those who report being raped are now pulling out of cases because of court delays. But Home Office statistics show this year, only 9% of rape cases were abandoned after a charge was brought.»
The numbers dispute
The Conservative MP argued the reforms would do «next to nothing to cut backlogs for rape victims» but would «further erode the confidence women have in the justice system.» He demanded major constitutional changes be based on «facts, not baseless claims» rather than dismantling a system «we have enjoyed for 800 years.»
Justice minister Sarah Sackman defended the government's position. She clarified that approximately 60% of victims who report rape drop out of the criminal system at various stages - not just after charges. She emphasized that lengthy trial delays are a «key factor» for many victims withdrawing from cases or not reporting at all.
Labour rebellion grows
Labour rebels told HuffPost UK they are confident they can overcome the government's majority of around 160 votes. One MP said: «Even normally-loyal MPs are deeply uncomfortable with it.» Another rebel stated: «There's no way this ridiculous policy will ever get on the statute book. The PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party) will not wear it.»
Former frontbencher Karl Turner, a lawyer and MP, posted on X: «I'm confident there enough of us to stop this utterly ludicrous proposal. Numbers are growing from those that are not considered the 'awkward squad'.»
The rebellion echoes previous Labour backbench revolts that forced the government to abandon plans to cut £5 billion from the welfare bill and reverse the decision to scrap winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners.
Court crisis backdrop
Lammy's proposal aims to address a massive backlog of nearly 80,000 cases in Crown Courts. He told Sky News that a woman raped today would likely face trial in «2028, maybe 2029.» He added: «That's a long time for her to wait. Victims of rape are pulling out, 60% are pulling out of cases, witnesses fall away, and the trauma of waiting is too hard.»
Sackman accused the Tories of «defending the status quo» and highlighted that no one working in the system believes it is «working as it should.» She pointed to Rape Crisis data showing one in three sexual offense trials are subject to adjournment.
Liberal Democrat justice spokeswoman Jess Brown-Fuller argued that while «far too few» rape victims receive justice, reducing jury trials «doesn't hold up to scrutiny» as a solution. She said the government was «neither diagnosing the cause of the crisis or providing the solutions to the record backlog.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
