Garden Court Chambers welcomes the Government’s commitment to retain trial by jury.
The right to be judged by 12 of our peers is a vital safeguard and a cornerstone of our system of justice. It ensures that those who are the most vulnerable, complainants, and those charged with serious offences in the Crown Court are protected and that justice is served with transparency.
Although the change in the Government’s proposals recognises that the backlog facing the Criminal Courts cannot be resolved by removing or seeking to manipulate fundamental protections, we are opposed to those which remain – increasing magistrates’ sentencing powers and removing the right of defendants to elect to be tried in a Crown Court.
We look forward to the Government continuing to work with the Bar and the wider legal profession to address the real causes of the backlog and to tackle the injustices they create.
