‘Court reform: The myths are loud, but the facts are clear’

Before becoming an MP, I spent years in the police force across several constabularies, including the Metropolitan Police. I saw the justice system at its best—protecting victims, holding offenders to account—and at its worst, when delay, bureaucracy and under-resourcing under the previous government put cuts above justice. That frontline experience shapes my view today. 

The Victims and Courts Bill, now in the committee stage, seeks to improve how victims are treated and to modernise court procedures to deliver faster, fairer justice.

Within my constituency, in speaking with people, and in broader conversations with experts and the general public, I hear mistruths and misrepresented information time and time again. 

READ MORE: ‘Labour is transforming the justice system to empower survivors’

When it comes to intricate discussions that affect liberty and victims’ experience of justice, I believe it is vital to set the record straight. 

Perception: Abolishing jury trials will mean there will be less justice.

Reality: Right now, justice is denied daily due to delays. Over 20,000 victims have already been waiting more than a year for a trial, with many facing far longer waits. During that time, evidence deteriorates, memories fade, and victims and witnesses withdraw—not because they don’t care, but 

As a police officer, I saw how delays led to sacrificed justice for victims, and for many victims, caused them even more prolonged torment and pain. I fully support the measures the government is taking to ensure victims receive the justice they deserve, delivered when it is needed. 

Perception: Getting rid of jury trials violates rights under the ECHR or Magna Carta.

Reality: The right enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights is the right to a fair trial—not a jury trial. Magna Carta, often invoked in these debates, is equally clear on another principle: justice must not be delayed.

No one is proposing to abolish jury trials altogether. They will rightly remain for the most serious crimes—rape, homicide, and the gravest offences. But it cannot be fair that someone accused of shoplifting is placed in the same queue for justice as someone accused of murder or serious organised crime. 

A system that treats vastly different offences identically in terms of process serves no one well, least of all victims.

Perception: Abolishing jury trials will make it easier for criminals to get off scot-free.

Reality: Criminals are already ‘getting away with it’ because of inaction. The government inherited a system where offenders are spending Christmas at home with their families, not just this year, but year after year, while cases crawl through the courts.

I believe wholeheartedly that justice must be delivered swiftly—for victims who deserve closure, and for offenders, for whom timely punishment is a core part of accountability.

JOIN LABOURLIST ‘IN CONVERSATION’ WITH STEVE ROTHERAM TONIGHT at 17.15

Delays do not serve justice, they undermine it. 

When cases drag on for months or years, victims are left waiting, confidence in the system erodes, and offenders too often fall out of sight altogether.

Ending jury trials for appropriate, lower-level offences allows the law to be enforced more quickly and effectively. It means offenders feel the full force of the law sooner, and it ensures that cases are dealt with proportionately—so no one falls through the cracks of an overburdened justice system.

This is not about weakening justice. It is about being realistic and making it work.

Perception: Magistrates cannot deliver true justice without a jury.

Reality: Magistrates already hear the vast majority of criminal cases, and they do so effectively. They are experienced, legally trained, and embedded in the communities they serve. They bring a lay, democratic element comparable to a jury, while allowing cases to be resolved up to four times faster.

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From my experience in policing, I saw how frequently defendants opted for jury trials not because their case demanded it, but because delay worked in their favour. Dragging out proceedings increases the likelihood of witnesses disengaging, evidence weakening, and cases being dropped altogether.

Perception: The Labour Government is trying to cut corners in the justice system.

Reality: Labour is trying to fix what has been broken. Under the previous Conservative government, the recruitment of magistrates was paused. In the years that followed, we lost 10,000 magistrates. The consequences were entirely predictable: an exploding backlog and nearly 80,000 criminal cases awaiting hearing in the Crown Court.

This is not about cutting corners. It is about rebuilding capacity, restoring credibility, and putting victims back at the heart of the justice system. 

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As an ex police officer who has stood with victims in their toughest moments, I cannot accept a system that tells them to wait indefinitely while offenders exploit delay. 

The myths are loud, but the facts are clear. The cost of doing nothing is paid by victims every single day, and we have a duty to put victims at the heart of justice. 

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