JUSTICE DENIED: Labour says defendants have 'no right to a jury trial' as Minister Sarah Sackman KC admits crown court system 'on brink of collapse'

THE Minister for Courts and Legal Services, Sarah Sackman KC, has said defendnats do not have a right to a jury trial as the Government presses on with plans to scrap them for less serious offences.

She said: "With a record-breaking backlog of over 80,000 cases, the Crown Court is on the brink of collapse. The scale of this crisis has left victims bearing the brunt of years of neglect, facing devastating delays.

"Through pragmatic reform, historic investment and increased efficiency, we are pulling every lever at our disposal to drive down the backlog. Victims have waited long enough – and we will deliver the swift, fair justice they deserve.”

The Crown Court caseload has increased to 80,203 cases in December, up 8 percent on the previous year.

Time from receipt at the Crown Court to completion for rape cases took an average of 429 days.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "The Government has taken immediate action to deliver swifter and fairer justice, including:

*Investing up to £92 million more per year for criminal legal aid solicitor fees and up to £34m more a year for criminal legal aid advocate fees;

*Removing the financial limit on Crown Court sitting days, so it can hear as many cases as possible to speed up justice for victims;

*Increasing magistrates' courts' sentencing powers from six to 12 months so that Crown Court time can be reserved for the most serious and complex cases.

The spokesperson added: "However, incoming demand is so high that even sitting at record levels will not on its own reduce the outstanding caseload. Only by pulling every lever we have, investment, reform and efficiency, can we turn the tide on the backlog and begin to deliver justice for victims.

"Everyone has, and will always have, the right to a fair trial. But there is no right to trial by jury and over 90 percent of all criminal cases are already heard, fairly, without a jury, by magistrates.

"This is not a radical departure from existing practice. In our magistrates’ courts, District Judges already determine guilt sitting alone in thousands of similar cases every year."