Solihull West and Shirley MP Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst has challenged the Government over reports that it could further restrict the use of jury trials.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday 15 September, the Conservative shadow minister questioned the Lord Chancellor over reports of a possible amendment to the Courts and Tribunals Bill.
The reported proposal would give a judge the power to decide whether some either-way offences should be heard by a jury or by a judge sitting alone.
Shastri-Hurst told MPs that the legal profession had warned the change could result in additional legal challenges and appeals, potentially slowing down the court system.
He asked the Government whether it would listen to concerns from the legal profession or continue with the proposals.
The Lord Chancellor did not directly rule out the reported amendment.
Shastri-Hurst said the response left “serious questions” over whether the Government intended to further dilute trial by jury, particularly with the Courts and Tribunals Bill due to return to Parliament on 13 October.
He said: “Trial by jury is a fundamental part of our justice system, not a plaything.”
The Conservative MP has also been prominent in recent parliamentary debates on assisted dying, having supported the bill before it was narrowly rejected by MPs last week.
He said the Government should set out its intentions clearly so that Parliament, the legal profession and the public can properly scrutinise any proposed changes.
The Government says its wider court reforms are intended to reduce pressure on the Crown Court and tackle the backlog of cases, but concerns have been raised over the potential impact on jury trials.
For Solihull residents, any changes could ultimately affect how some criminal cases are dealt with in the courts, depending on the final form of the legislation.
