Thirty-nine Labour MPs have formally challenged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over controversial plans to restrict jury trials in England and Wales. Led by Karl Turner, the Hull East MP, the backbenchers warned of a growing rebellion threat if the government proceeds with Justice Secretary David Lammy's proposals to reserve jury trials only for the most serious criminal cases.
The plans would limit jury trials to charges such as rape and murder, or cases likely to result in sentences exceeding three years. Lammy announced the reforms as a measure to tackle the mounting backlog in Crown Courts, but the dissenting MPs—largely from the party's left wing—have branded the approach ineffective.
"Madness" and fundamental rights
In their letter to the Prime Minister, the 39 MPs, including Diane Abbott, the Mother of the House of Commons, delivered a stark warning. «The drastic restriction of the right to trial by jury is not a silver bullet. To limit a fundamental right for what will make a marginal difference to the backlog, if any, is madness and will cause more problems than it solves,» they wrote.
Turner escalated the pressure on social media, stating: «Many more MPs, not on this letter, have said they will rebel if necessary.» The threat signals potential parliamentary trouble for Starmer's government on a key justice reform.
Alternative solutions proposed
The MPs pushed back with concrete alternatives, focusing on court capacity rather than restricting jury rights. They highlighted that approximately 130,000 sitting days are available to courts, yet 20,000 are restricted annually. The government's planned increase of 5,000 sitting days represents «still a substantial shortfall,» according to the letter.
The MPs urged the Prime Minister to «think again and come back to the House with a more credible proposal,» arguing the backlog «was not caused by jurors, nor will it be fixed by their eradication from public duty.» They even invoked wartime precedent, noting that juries continued to operate during the Second World War—albeit reduced from 12 to seven jurors—adding: «We are not at war!»
Starmer defends proposals
Responding to Turner during Prime Minister's Questions last week, Sir Keir sought to reassure critics. He insisted that «juries will remain a cornerstone of our justice system for the most serious cases.» The Prime Minister has previously noted that jury trials constitute only a minor portion of overall criminal court proceedings.
The MPs have called for a pause on the proposals until «proven evidence can be provided that this proposal will substantially reduce the backlog in the Crown Courts.» Some have also suggested including a "sunset clause" that would restore full jury trial rights once court backlogs clear.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
