UK Considers Limiting Jury Trials to Reduce Court Backlogs

The UK government is considering significant reforms to its criminal justice system to address a severe court backlog, based on recommendations from Sir Brian Leveson's report. Key proposals include limiting jury trials for offences with maximum sentences of two years, trying complex fraud cases by judges alone, and creating a new crown court division where certain cases are heard by a judge and two magistrates. These changes aim to save thousands of court sitting days and increase efficiency, potentially raising sitting days to 130,000 annually at an estimated cost of £1 billion over five years. While some argue these reforms are necessary, legal professionals warn that scrapping jury trials could undermine justice and fail to solve systemic issues without greater investment. Concerns have been raised about the impact on defendants' rights, with critics pointing out that criminals might serve only a fraction of their sentences under related policies. The government has stated it will carefully consider the recommendations before implementing any changes.