Government Reneges on Promise to Jury Trial Rebels
23 March 2026
The Government has reneged on assurances given to Labour backbenchers opposing proposed changes to jury trials, raising concerns about trust and transparency in the remaining stages of the Courts and Tribunals Bill.
Proposals put forward by David Lammy, the Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister, seek to curb the centuries-old right to trial by jury. Lammy's plan is one of the most significant encroachments on civil liberties by a government we have ever seen and has been carried out in such a reckless manner.
David Lammy has waged the biggest assault on our criminal justice system and English liberty — particularly in relation to free speech — by restricting access to jury trials. Under the proposals, defendants facing a maximum prison sentence of less than three years would no longer have the right to elect a jury trial. Instead, their cases would be heard in judge-only courts.
Research published by the Free Speech Union late last year found that individuals charged with speech-related offences are almost twice as likely to be acquitted in Crown Courts with juries than in magistrates' courts without them.
Despite warnings from senior lawyers, politicians, and victims of crime — including Edward Fitzgerald KC, a former mentor to Sir Keir Starmer, and all four Bar associations — the Government is pressing ahead with these sinister proposals. While Lammy argues that the reforms are necessary to address the Crown Court backlog of 80,000 cases, a report published by the Institute for Government suggests the changes would save only 2 per cent of Crown Court time, rather than the 20 per cent Lammy promised.
Karl Turner, a Labour MP and former Shadow Attorney General who practised as a criminal barrister before entering Parliament in 2010, has emerged as the rebel leader among Labour backbenchers opposed to the Government's plan.
In a last ditch-attempt to avert a rebellion of up to 80 Labour MPs at the Second Reading of the Courts and Tribunals Bill, the Justice Secretary offered the rebels representation on the Bill Committee tasked with scrutinising the reforms.
Turner nominated two colleagues — Rachael Maskell and Stella Creasy — to serve on the committee. However, in a breach of that agreement, the Government Chief Whip, Jonathan Reynolds, rejected their nominations. Karl Turner has since written to the Chief Whip accusing him of acting in bad faith. This dispute risks further souring relations between the Government and Labour backbenchers, which have already deteriorated in recent months.
At Second Reading, Turner persuaded more than 70 MPs to abstain rather than vote against the Bill. However, he has since questioned whether opponents of the reforms can trust the Government to negotiate in good faith. Turner told The Telegraph: “A very large number are now saying that we should not have abstained because we cannot trust the Government to act in good faith.”
A majority of rebels chose to abstain at Second Reading because they supported other elements of the Bill, while 10 proceeded with voting against the Bill. The rebels had been assured that one of their number would sit on the committee, and now intend to challenge the reforms through amendments at the report stage.
Turner has since said it is “clear that the Government is intent on treating the rebellion with utter contempt by ignoring the recommendations that were made.” He added: “We must now hope that the Government proceeds in good faith, but we are sceptical.”
Read more in The Telegraph.
