Jury trial reforms: Full list of Labour MPs calling for plans to be scrapped

Almost 40 Labour MPs have urged the government to ditch proposals to scrap some jury trials to deal with a court backlog.

In an open letter to the Prime Minister, the MPs warned that the move to remove trial by jury for all but the most serious cases is “madness” and would “cause more problems than it solves”.

The letter reads: “The proposals to remove trial by jury for all but the most serious of cases will have an incredibly limited impact while also depriving individuals of a fundamental right to trial by their peers.

“The backlog has been caused by a multitude of complex, interrelated factors, including of course the Covid-19 pandemic, and it will require a complex response to fix. The drastic restriction of the right to trial by jury is not a silver bullet.

“To limit a fundamental right for what will make a marginal difference to the backlog, if any, is madness, and will cause more problems than it solves.”

The MPs instead urge the government to address the restriction on sitting days for courts, as well as invest in the number of judges and recorders, to make more of a substantial impact on the backlog.

A total of 37 Labour MPs have signed the letter, including Blue Labour parliamentary convenor Dan Carden, former whip Vicky Foxcroft, and several members of the Socialist Campaign Group, including Kim Johnson, Brian Leishman and Rebecca Long-Bailey.

Mother of the House and suspended Labour MP Diane Abbott has also signed the letter.

David Lammy said the proposals offered a “bold blueprint for a modern justice system that works for, not against victims” when announcing the plans to MPs earlier this month.

“The crumbling system we inherited has resulted in a Crown Court backlog of nearly 80,000 and rising. Justice delayed is justice denied. 

“These reforms are bold and it will take time to turn the tide on the rising backlog, but these measures are necessary to tackle the emergency in our courts. We are putting victims before tradition for tradition’s sake and fairness before those who want to game the system.”

Full list of MPs who have signed letter opposing jury trial reforms

• Paula Barker, Liverpool Wavertree
• Lee Barron, Corby and East Northamptonshire
• Apsana Begum, Poplar and Limehouse
• Olivia Blake, Sheffield Hallam
• Jonathan Brash, Hartlepool
• Richard Burgon, Leeds East
• Ian Byrne, Liverpool West Derby
• Dan Carden, Liverpool Walton
• Sarah Champion, Rotherham
• Stella Creasy, Walthamstow
• Marsha de Cordova, Battersea
• Peter Dowd, Bootle
• Neil Duncan-Jordan, Poole
• Vicky Foxcroft, Lewisham North
• Barry Gardiner, Brent West
• Fabian Hamilton, Leeds North East
• Sarah Hall, Warrington South
• Chris Hinchliff, North East Hertfordshire
• Imran Hussain, Bradford East
• Terry Jermy, South West Norfolk
• Kim Johnson, Liverpool Riverside
• Brian Leishman, Alloa and Grangemouth
• Clive Lewis, Norwich North
• Rebecca Long-Bailey, Salford
• Rachael Maskell, York Central
• Andy McDonald, Middlesbrough and Thornaby East
• John McDonnell, Hayes and Harlington
• Grahame Morris, Easington
• Charlotte Nichols, Warrington North
• Simon Opher, Stroud
• Kate Osborne, Jarrow and Gateshead East
• Yasmin Qureshi, Bolton South and Walkden
• Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Clapham and Brixton Hill
• Jon Trickett, Normanton and Hemsworth
• Karl Turner, Kingston upon Hull East
• Nadia Whittome, Nottingham East

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