Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of trials by jury on levels of public confidence in the criminal justice system.

Sir Brian Leveson has published the first part of his Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, setting out a number of recommendations on the use of jury trials in the Crown Court. Jury trials are a cornerstone of our justice system and will remain in place for the most serious cases. However, we must consider bold action to tackle the rising backlog. There is evidence that significant delays undermine confidence in the system. Over 90% of criminal cases are heard without a jury and deliver swift justice. We will carefully consider Sir Brian’s proposals before setting out the Government’s full response in the autumn.