Government slashes rights to trial by jury in court shake-up Legal Justice secretary David Lammy has confirmed his controversial plans to scrap some jury trials to tackle the nearly 80,000 criminal cases backlog. Speaking in the House of Commons, after a week of outrage following a leak of the plan, Lammy told MPs that he will “follow Sir Brian [Leveson]’s bold blueprint for change”, by creating [...]
David Lammy promises ‘fast and fair justice’ plan after jury trial leak sparked outrage Politics After a week of criticism following leaked details of plans to scrap some jury trials, David Lammy is expected to address the controversy on Tuesday and outline the next steps in the government’s plan to overhaul the justice system. The backlog at the Crown Court stands at almost 80,000 cases, but the justice secretary has [...]
Former City minister Tulip Siddiq sentenced to two years over corruption charges Politics Labour’s Tulip Siddiq has been found guilty by a Bangladesh court of influencing ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina her aunt, to obtain plots of land on the outskirts of Dhaka. When Labour won power in July, Siddiq was appointed economic secretary to the Treasury and City minister. However, less than five months into her ministerial [...]
David Lammy avoids urgent questions on jury scrapping plans November 27, 2025 Justice secretary David Lammy was a no-show at urgent questions in the House of Commons on Thursday, prompting Robert Jenrick to ask about his whereabouts as the justice minister took his place. The questions stem from a leaked memo reported on Tuesday, in which Lammy proposed scrapping some jury trials to tackle the backlog of [...]
Robert Jenrick leads pushback against David Lammy’s plans to scrap jury trials November 25, 2025 The justice secretary is facing accusations of hypocrisy over his proposed scrapping of jury trials, after his Tory opposite number Robert Jenrick said it was a system David Lammy once ‘proudly defended’ before coming to power. Jenrick stated, “Now [Lammy is] in office, he’s getting rid of them in virtually every case. “Scrapping this pillar [...]
David Lammy proposing to scrap some jury trials to tackle backlog November 25, 2025 As the criminal justice system continues to crumble, the justice secretary David Lammy is reportedly proposing a major shake-up that would scrap some jury trials. Currently, all criminal trials are heard in front of a jury that decides on the accused’s fate; however, Lammy’s proposal will see jury trials only for murder, rape or manslaughter [...]
Backlogs and political attacks risk erosion of rule of law, Lords claim November 20, 2025 The rule of law in the UK is being weakened, and everyone must take steps to protect it against further erosion, says a damming House of Lords report. The ‘Rule of law: holding the line between anarchy and tyranny’ report, published on Thursday, identified three areas contributing to the decline: social/cultural erosion, institutional failings in [...]
Ministry of Justice sacks 849 staff over misconduct in three years September 24, 2025 The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has dismissed 849 staff members over the last three years for alleged misconduct. A Freedom of Information Request, shared with City AM, revealed there has been an increase in the number of individuals receiving a penalty as a result of the conduct and discipline process at the MoJ, with a [...]
Knives are out in Whitehall after Chinese espionage case collapsed September 17, 2025 Whitehall is seething with anger following the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) decision to drop its espionage case against two men accused of spying for China. Christopher Cash (30), a former parliamentary researcher and director of the China Research Group, and Christopher Berry (33), a former English teacher in China, were charged last year with providing [...]
Justice secretary granted new veto powers over ‘independent’ public body September 2, 2025 The justice secretary has been granted the power to sign off on any new guidelines for prison sentences as part of a push for Parliament to have a say in the justice system, following political backlash earlier this year. As part of the Sentencing Bill, set to be introduced to the House of Commons today, [...]