'Denial of justice'

Labour plans to end centuries-old right to trial by jury amid record case backlog

- Michael Knowles

PLANS to scrap jury trials for thousands of offenders were branded a "massive threat" to civil liberties last night.

The Government could downgrade some crimes so they can be tried by magistrates rather than in crown court. Burglary is among them. In other cases, judges alone could decide guilt or innocence.

The backlog of crown court cases stood at a record 73,105 in September and listings are now running into 2027.

Prosecutors warn that crime victims are facing waits of two to five years before a case goes to trial.

Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has signalled many jury trials could be ditched to stop courts hitting an unprecedented 100,000-case backlog.

Shame

She has ordered retired judge Sir Brian Leveson to review ways in which defendants' rights to jury trials could be scaled back without undermining fair hearings.