Some jury trials may be axed in plan to ease court backlog

Jury trials could be abandoned for some criminal cases in England and Wales under a radical overhaul proposed by ministers as the crown courts backlog hit a record high.

- Guardian staff

A review, to be led by the former high court judge Sir Brian Leveson, will consider creating "intermediate courts", where cases could be heard by a judge flanked by magistrates, in an attempt to speed up the length of trials.

These would apply to some criminal cases that are too serious for magistrates courts but are no longer deemed serious enough for the crown court.

The announcement comes after the Guardian launched its Courts in crisis series, examining what unprecedented delays and chaos mean for victims, the accused and the justice system as a whole.

The idea of abandoning jury trials for some crown court cases was floated by the former lord chief justice Lord Thomas in an interview with the Guardian this week.

But the proposal will lead to concerns about an erosion of the centuries-old principle of jury trials, in which 12 people are chosen at random to hear the evidence and decide whether a defendant is guilty.

Magistrates praised the move, but cautioned - along with barristers, solicitors and victims - that the backlog would not be fixed without greater investment in the criminal justice system.

The Leveson review was announced by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) yesterday as new figures revealed the backlog of criminal cases waiting to be dealt with by crown courts in England and Wales stood at 73,105 at the end of September - a record high.