Jury trials scrapped for crimes with sentences of less than three years

Jury trials in England and Wales for crimes that carry a likely sentence of less than three years will be scrapped, the justice secretary has announced.

The reforms to the justice system include creating "swift courts" under the government's plan to tackle unprecedented delays in the court system.

Serious offences including murder, robbery and rape, will still go before a jury, and volunteer community magistrates, who deal with the majority of all criminal cases, will take on even more work.

David Lammy said the reforms were "bold" but "necessary", but the Conservatives have described the plans as the "beginning of the end of jury trials".

Retired Court of Appeal judge Sir Brian Leveson was asked by the Lord Chancellor to come up with a series of proposals to reduce the backlog, in a process which began back in December 2024.

These proposals included jury-free trials and more out-of-court settlements like cautions.

In July, Sir Brian said "fundamental" reforms were needed to "reduce the risk of total system collapse".

A defendant's right to a jury trial would be restricted to prevent them from "gaming the system", Lammy also said.

The reforms to the jury process will remove the right for defendants to ask for a jury trial where a case can be dealt with by either magistrates or a new form of judge-only crown court.

Defendants facing fraud and complex financial crime accusations will no longer get a jury trial - a recommendation made to the government earlier this year by a retired senior judge.