Britain will keep the historic right to trial by jury after the government dropped plans to limit jury trials in less serious criminal cases. The decision was announced on October 4, 2026, after months of strong criticism from lawyers, politicians and other legal groups. The change is a major step in the debate over how Britain should deal with its growing court backlog.
The government had planned to reduce the use of juries in cases where a prison sentence was expected to be less than three years. Under the earlier plan, some defendants would have faced a judge without a jury. The aim was to speed up court work and reduce the number of cases waiting for trial.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham decided to reverse the plan after the criticism grew. The government said the policy would now be abandoned. The move was welcomed by many lawyers who had warned that the plan could weaken a long-standing part of the British justice system.
Justice Secretary Alex Norris said he had heard the strong concerns about the proposal. He said the government had decided to change course after hearing views from legal groups and others. The decision does not end the wider debate about court delays, however.
Britain has a serious backlog in its criminal courts. Nearly 81,000 cases were waiting for jury trials in Crown Courts in England and Wales at the end of June. That figure was almost twice the level recorded in 2020. Many victims, witnesses and defendants now wait for long periods before their cases reach court.
The government had argued that fewer jury trials could help deal with the delay. Supporters of the plan said judges could handle some cases more quickly. They also said court time could be used better if simple cases did not need a full jury.
Critics disagreed. They said the main problem was years of low investment and pressure across the justice system. They argued that removing juries would not solve the deeper problems facing courts. Some lawyers also warned that giving more power to magistrates could create new delays.
The government will still keep a plan for some complex fraud cases to be heard by judges alone. Such cases can last for months and can place a heavy burden on jurors. The idea has been debated for years and remains separate from the wider plan that has now been dropped.
The decision also comes as Britain faces pressure in its prison system. Hundreds of prisoners have been released early as officials try to prevent prisons from becoming overcrowded. The issue has added to wider concerns about the state of criminal justice.
The government now faces the difficult task of reducing the court backlog without weakening public trust. Keeping jury trials may calm some of the criticism, but it does not remove the need for wider reform.
For many lawyers and members of the public, the right to be judged by a jury remains an important safeguard. The October 4 decision shows that the government is willing to step back when a major legal reform faces strong opposition. The challenge now is to make Britain’s courts faster while protecting the rights of people who enter them.
