Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signaled a potential reversal of his government's plan to curtail jury trials in England and Wales, following the dismissal of Justice Secretary David Lammy.
Burnham stated he has "concerns" regarding the proposed changes to the Courts and Tribunals Bill and indicated he would seek modifications. The legislation, as initially proposed, would have limited jury trials to cases with a potential sentence of three years or more, with shorter cases to be heard by a single judge.
These plans, championed by Lammy to address the backlog of crown court cases, now face scrutiny under Burnham's leadership. "I have my concerns about the plan to restrict jury trials, partly from my personal experience, particularly Hillsborough," Burnham told reporters on Friday. "So I want to really look in detail at that proposal and my instincts are that we need to find ways of not reducing access to jury trial."
The Prime Minister drew a parallel between this issue and his decision to pause the government's early release scheme for prisoners. "It's similar to the early release scheme," he added. "I want to get inside these issues before I confirm any of the plans that I inherited and, in fact, probably looking for changes."
Burnham and the new Justice Secretary, Alex Norris, are conducting an "urgent review" of the early release policy. This review was prompted by public outcry after individuals convicted in the case of PC Andrew Harper were released from jail. The early release scheme, designed to alleviate prison overcrowding, was set to begin on September 2, but Burnham has postponed its implementation until the review is complete.
Additionally, Burnham confirmed he has asked Labour's Chief Whip to arrange a process for the return of Karl Turner to the party. Turner had been a vocal opponent of Lammy's proposals regarding jury trials and other government policies under the previous leadership. He was suspended from the Labour party in March.
Prior to his appointment as Prime Minister, reports suggested Burnham intended to remove sections of the Courts and Tribunals Bill related to jury trials. This approach would allow the remainder of the bill to proceed through Parliament without the risk of opposition from MPs and peers concerned about the jury trial changes.
