Overview
- MPs voted 304–203 to pass the Courts and Tribunals Bill at second reading, moving it to committee for potential amendments.
- The plan would shift offences likely to draw sentences of three years or less to judge‑only Crown Court trials and raise magistrates’ sentencing powers to 18 months, routing more cases likely to receive up to two years to magistrates.
- Labour dissent persisted, with 10 MPs voting against and about 90 not voting, as Charlotte Nichols disclosed a 1,088‑day wait for her rape case and accused ministers of using victims’ experiences to justify the curbs.
- Opposition from the legal profession intensified, with a Bar Council‑organised letter signed by more than 3,200 legal professionals arguing the jury limits are poorly evidenced and that chronic underfunding drives delays.
- David Lammy cited a backlog near 80,000 and projections up to 125,000 this parliament or 200,000 in a decade, pairing the legal changes with £2.78bn investment, uncapped sitting days and expanded digital tools including AI.