LONDON: The right to trial by jury will be pared back in Britain in an attempt to clear a backlog of cases clogging up the justice system, the government announced Tuesday.
Justice Secretary David Lammy said overload and delays had created “an emergency in our courts” that risks collapsing trust in British justice.
The UK court system has struggled to clear a backlog of cases built up since the COVID-19 pandemic. The government says there are almost 80,000 cases waiting to be heard in criminal courts in England and Wales, more than double the pre-pandemic figure, with some cases taking several years to reach trial.
Under the changes, crimes with a likely sentence of three years or less will be tried before a judge alone, up from the current two years. Judges will also be able to sit without a jury in some complex fraud and financial cases.
Magistrates, who handle less serious offenses, will be able to impose sentences of up to 18 months, rather than the current 12 months, allowing them to handle more cases.
The changes apply to England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate judicial systems.
Lammy said the reforms would deliver swifter justice for victims.
“We’re all proud of our justice system rooted in the Magna Carta, but we must never forget that it implores us not to deny or delay justice,” Lammy told lawmakers in the House of Commons. “When victims are left waiting for years, justice is effectively denied to them.”
He said the changes would reduce by about a quarter the number of cases heard by juries, but that “jury trials will continue to be the cornerstone of the system for the most serious of offenses,” including murder, manslaughter, rape, serious assault and robbery.
Magna Carta, the hallowed charter of English liberties forced on King John in 1215, includes the stipulation that “No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled … except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land.”
That’s widely interpreted as laying the foundations for trial by jury, though the modern British system of jury trial dates from the 19th century and has been revised since.
Legal groups expressed concern about that right being undermined.
“The government talks about its commitment to protect its citizens from harm, violence and sexual offenses, but is eviscerating that protection by eroding the public’s right to trial by jury,” said Riel Karmy-Jones, chairwoman of the Criminal Bar Association.
“It is not juries that cause delays. Rather, it is all the consequences of the years of underfunding that look set to continue.”
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UK government plans to scrap some jury trials in an attempt to clear a court backlog
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UK government plans to scrap some jury trials in an attempt to clear a court backlog
- Lammy said overload and delays had created “an emergency in our courts” that risks collapsing trust in British justice
- The UK court system has struggled to clear a backlog of cases built up since the COVID-19 pandemic
In Puerto Rico, fans thrilled with Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show
- In the town square in Vega Baja, a small municipality near Puerto Rico’s capital San Juan, retired teacher Madeline Miranda was bubbling with excitement after watching Bad Bunny perform at the Super
VEGA BAJA: In the town square in Vega Baja, a small municipality near Puerto Rico’s capital San Juan, retired teacher Madeline Miranda was bubbling with excitement after watching Bad Bunny perform at the Super Bowl.
After all, Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio was once one of her former students, and years away from becoming a global superstar.
“I danced, I screamed, I swore and I gave it my all,” said the 75-year-old Miranda, who joined about 100 other people to watch the performance by Vega Baja’s most famous native son.
People of all ages turned out, many of them bringing beach chairs — and drinks — to wait for the big moment.
Vega Baja is not exactly a place where American football is all that popular, and few of those present really paid attention to the game, which the Seattle Seahawks won over the New England Patriots.
Bad Bunny was the only show in town.
When he finally appeared on screen singing one of his biggest hits, “Titi Me Pregunto,” the crowd shrieked with joy. Some waved Puerto Rican flags and others clapped.
The party had begun.
“I feel so proud that someone from Vega Baja has reached such heights. This shows that our presence is growing stronger in the United States and around the world,” David Fontanez, a 66-year-old retiree, told AFP.
Other watch parties took place in Old San Juan.
’Great inspiration’
Bad Bunny’s performance celebrated Puerto Rico, a US island territory in the Caribbean — from the lyrics of his songs to his set design featuring sugar cane and his salmon-colored “La Casita” (little house). Fans cheered each reference.
He also made history as the first Super Bowl headliner to sing entirely in Spanish. A week ago, he became the first performer to win the Grammy for Album of the Year for a Spanish-language work.
For 14-year-old Pedro Melendez Barrio, the singer is a “great inspiration” for those who live in Vega Baja.
“He makes me feel very proud and also very happy. I think that if he has achieved all this, I can achieve this too. That really motivates me.”
Many said they were grateful to the 31-year-old Bad Bunny for championing his homeland.
Last year, he completed a wildly successful concert residency in San Juan, giving the island a major economic boost as fans flocked to see him.
“He brought to the Super Bowl the essence of what we, Puerto Ricans, are,” said Miranda, who remembers young Benito as a “very quiet and disciplined” child.
“He’s a great ambassador for this community.”
Some Puerto Ricans made mention of the conservative backlash that Bad Bunny faced after he was named as the halftime show headliner, largely due to the fact that he sings in Spanish.
Indeed, after the show, US President Donald Trump suggested that “nobody understands a word this guy is saying.”
But most said what was more important was Bad Bunny’s ability to amplify the voice of Puerto Ricans, who are US citizens but do not have the right to vote for president.
“He has reflected a lot of our culture (in his work), what’s happening in Puerto Rico, and the situation of immigrants,” Madeline Garcia, 31, said after the show.
“We ignore the controversy because, whether they like it or not, we’re also part of the United States. And even if our language is Spanish, most Puerto Ricans speak English.”
After all, Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio was once one of her former students, and years away from becoming a global superstar.
“I danced, I screamed, I swore and I gave it my all,” said the 75-year-old Miranda, who joined about 100 other people to watch the performance by Vega Baja’s most famous native son.
People of all ages turned out, many of them bringing beach chairs — and drinks — to wait for the big moment.
Vega Baja is not exactly a place where American football is all that popular, and few of those present really paid attention to the game, which the Seattle Seahawks won over the New England Patriots.
Bad Bunny was the only show in town.
When he finally appeared on screen singing one of his biggest hits, “Titi Me Pregunto,” the crowd shrieked with joy. Some waved Puerto Rican flags and others clapped.
The party had begun.
“I feel so proud that someone from Vega Baja has reached such heights. This shows that our presence is growing stronger in the United States and around the world,” David Fontanez, a 66-year-old retiree, told AFP.
Other watch parties took place in Old San Juan.
’Great inspiration’
Bad Bunny’s performance celebrated Puerto Rico, a US island territory in the Caribbean — from the lyrics of his songs to his set design featuring sugar cane and his salmon-colored “La Casita” (little house). Fans cheered each reference.
He also made history as the first Super Bowl headliner to sing entirely in Spanish. A week ago, he became the first performer to win the Grammy for Album of the Year for a Spanish-language work.
For 14-year-old Pedro Melendez Barrio, the singer is a “great inspiration” for those who live in Vega Baja.
“He makes me feel very proud and also very happy. I think that if he has achieved all this, I can achieve this too. That really motivates me.”
Many said they were grateful to the 31-year-old Bad Bunny for championing his homeland.
Last year, he completed a wildly successful concert residency in San Juan, giving the island a major economic boost as fans flocked to see him.
“He brought to the Super Bowl the essence of what we, Puerto Ricans, are,” said Miranda, who remembers young Benito as a “very quiet and disciplined” child.
“He’s a great ambassador for this community.”
Some Puerto Ricans made mention of the conservative backlash that Bad Bunny faced after he was named as the halftime show headliner, largely due to the fact that he sings in Spanish.
Indeed, after the show, US President Donald Trump suggested that “nobody understands a word this guy is saying.”
But most said what was more important was Bad Bunny’s ability to amplify the voice of Puerto Ricans, who are US citizens but do not have the right to vote for president.
“He has reflected a lot of our culture (in his work), what’s happening in Puerto Rico, and the situation of immigrants,” Madeline Garcia, 31, said after the show.
“We ignore the controversy because, whether they like it or not, we’re also part of the United States. And even if our language is Spanish, most Puerto Ricans speak English.”
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