Labour is calling on the government to temporarily reduce
the size of juries from 12 to seven, alongside speeding up the
roll-out of Nightingale courts, in order to help clear the Crown
Court backlog of more than 54,000 cases and secure justice for
victims.
It comes after four criminal justice inspectorates for
England and Wales warned of their ‘grave
concerns’ about the impact of the backlog on the
justice system.
Smaller jury sizes will reduce the space required to hold
jury trials in socially distanced manner. To date, the government
has opened just 19 Nightingale
courts, despite HMCTS’ warning that 200 additional
temporary courts were needed.
Wartime juries of seven will also reduce the likelihood of
jurors becoming infected in court. Data obtained by
Labour showed that 599 court staff, judges, lawyers
and jurors had tested positive for Covid-19 in a recent period of
seven weeks.
MP, the
Shadow Secretary of State for Justice,
said:
“The justice system is facing its gravest crisis since
World War Two, leaving thousands of victims waiting too long to
get justice. A decade of Conservative incompetence, court
closures, cuts and reduced sitting days have combined with the
pandemic to create a backlog of more than 54,000 cases.
“Victims of rape, murder, domestic abuse, robbery and
assault are facing delays of up to four years
because of the government’s failure to act.
“Justice cannot be delayed any further. Labour is calling
on the government to tackle the backlog by speeding up the
roll-out of Nightingale courts and temporarily introducing
wartime juries of seven until the pandemic is over.”
Ends
Notes to editors:
-
During World War Two, juries were reduced from 12 to
seven.
-
At present, 410 courtrooms able to hear cases across 79
Crown Courts. Of those, only 290 are deemed safe to hold jury
trials – not all of this number can be used at any one time.
Reducing the size of juries would increase the number of
courtrooms able to hold jury trials.
-
Former HMCTS chief executive Susan Ackland-Hood said
that 200 new temporary
courts would be needed to deal with the
backlog.
- Last week the Law Society called for a “two-week
firebreak” for all non-custody cases in
magistrates and crown courts.
-
Last April, the Lord Chief Justice, the most senior
member of the judiciary in England and Wales, said:
"I would support a move to reduce the number of jurors. That
was done during the Second World War. Plainly, it would be
easier to ensure a safe trial for everybody, with social
distancing and other precautions."
