Jury trials and the right to jury
The Free Speech Union has covered 17 stories on this topic. Browse our coverage below.
2 June 2026
FSU member James Cooper acquitted of violent disorder
FSU member James Cooper has been unanimously acquitted of violent disorder at Manchester Crown Court, after the Free Speech Union funded his defence over his attendance at a 2024 protest outside a Manchester asylum hotel.
5 May 2026
Labour rebel MPs' amendment defeated at Bill Committee
The Government defeated a Labour rebel amendment at committee stage that would have established specialist rape courts at every Crown Court and removed the government clauses restricting the right to jury trial.
28 April 2026
Former judge says "we must not be silenced over the vandalism of juries"
Sir Stephen Mitchell, a former High Court judge, has called the Government’s jury trial reforms “a form of legislative vandalism” and urged the judiciary to speak out against what he describes as the most serious assault on English liberty in 800 years.
23 April 2026
Former Justice Secretary Warns That Scrapping Jury Trials Risks the Safety of Judges and Judicial Independence
Former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland warns that David Lammy’s jury trial reforms will expose judges to physical attacks and undermine judicial independence.
10 April 2026
Labour MPs plotting to “kill off” jury trial reforms
As many as 90 Labour MPs are plotting a rebellion against David Lammy’s plans to curtail the right to trial by jury, tabling an amendment that would introduce specialist rape courts while removing clauses that restrict jury trials.
7 April 2026
Data shows Crown Court backlog is falling — but the Government won't admit it
Analysis by the Criminal Bar Association shows the Crown Court backlog is falling — yet the Government remains silent. Acknowledging this would undermine its case for curtailing the right to trial by jury.
2 April 2026
Labour Party suspends chief jury trial rebel Karl Turner MP
The Labour leadership has removed the whip from Karl Turner MP, who led backbench opposition to the Government's plans to restrict the right to trial by jury. The FSU believes this looks very much like tone policing.
23 March 2026
Government Reneges on Promise to Jury Trial Rebels
The Government has broken its promise to Labour rebels opposing jury trial reforms, raising fresh doubts about whether opponents can trust ministers to negotiate in good faith.
16 March 2026
Leading lawyer quits legal service watchdog over Lammy's 'tyrannical' jury reforms
Leading lawyer Flora Page KC has quit her role on the Legal Services Board in protest at David Lammy's "tyrannical" jury reforms, warning the plans would "rip the heart out" of the rule of law.
16 March 2026
Keir Starmer once warned that scrapping jury trials leads to wrongful convictions
A 1992 report that Keir Starmer helped write concluded that the removal of jury trials contributed to wrongful convictions in Northern Ireland — yet his government is now planning to restrict the ancient right to trial by jury.
2 February 2026
Starmer doubles down on his assault on jury trials as opposition grows
Starmer doubled down on plans to scrap jury trials while visiting China — as opposition from MPs, lawyers, and even his own ministers continues to grow.
3 December 2025
Help us save jury trials - sign our petition
2 December 2025
Lammy’s plan to scrap jury trials is an assault on free speech
1 December 2025
Juries More Likely to Acquit in Speech-Related Cases
8 February 2025
Labour reported me for racial hatred – a Jury cleared me in less than 20 minutes
5 February 2025
Former Royal Marine cleared of racial hatred charge over Facebook video
24 April 2024
Judge throws out case against UK climate activist who held sign on jurors’ rights
