David Lammy will today tear up centuries of legal tradition in Britain by abolishing the right to a jury trial for the majority of offences.
The Justice Secretary, will on Tuesday announce plans to “create faster routes for lower-level cases” and “free up Crown Court time so the most serious crimes are heard swiftly and fairly”.
The Deputy Prime Minister will insist the leaked proposals to abolish the majority of jury trials are necessary because of a “courts emergency”. The Labour stalwart plans to limit jury trials to murder, rape, manslaughter and “public interest cases” carrying sentences of over five years.
It comes as it was revealed this morning that two prisoners are still at large after being released in error.
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