Overview
- MPs hold a second-reading vote on the Courts and Tribunals Bill that would remove automatic juries for offences carrying maximum sentences of up to three years.
- The government expects the bill to pass this stage, while between roughly 30 and 80 Labour MPs are preparing to oppose or abstain as organiser Karl Turner lines up amendments for later rounds.
- More than 3,200 legal professionals, including 22 retired judges and over 300 senior barristers, urge a rethink, citing Institute for Government research suggesting jury curbs would save less than 2% of court time.
- Ministers say the package—judge-only trials alongside unlimited sitting days, blitz courts, greater use of AI, and new victim support such as legal advisers for rape victims—will reduce delays and shrink the backlog.
- The Conservatives plan to force a vote to remove the jury provisions from the bill, and parliamentary reporting points to tough scrutiny and potential hurdles in the House of Lords.