“As the Courts and Tribunals Bill 2026 is being debated in Parliament, there is likely to be strong opposition to reducing the use of jury trials as an ‘efficiency’ measure to reduce Crown Court backlogs. Debates will include disputes on how efficient the reforms will be. Some commentators have pointed out that judges will take longer than the reforms anticipate because they must give reasoned judgments.
“Even if judge alone trials are more ‘efficient’ by saving time and money, it will undoubtedly be argued that they are less ‘fair’ because judges are less representative of society than jurors and may also be more ‘conviction’ minded. The issue of ever-increasing systemic bias against defendants from minority ethnic backgrounds, experienced from the earliest stages of the criminal justice process with policing decisions, is also likely to be raised.
“However, the Victims’ Commissioner has urged that the proposals are taken forward. She argues that many victims - particularly those experiencing domestic abuse and other forms of violence against women and girls – are currently waiting too long for justice. The Bill promises faster court processes, and she believes they deserve that.
“While Parliament is debating the Bill, the news today is reporting of an epidemic of violence against women and girls. This alone reinforces why reforms aimed at speeding up justice might be necessary.
“The state has a duty to protect victims of crime and that should not be forgotten. The tension between justice for victims and justice for defendants assumes that one must lose at the expense of the other. But, in reality, these groups overlap – someone can be both a victim and a defendant at the same time. Justice for victims should be given sufficient weight in the progress of reforms to the criminal courts.”
ENDS
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