Labour MP Jonathan Brash Joins Revolt Against Government Justice Reforms...

Jonathan Brash, Labour MP for Hartlepool.

The Labour MP for Hartlepool is one of 36 other MP's who have all signed a letter to the Government urging it to 'look again' at Scrapping Jury Trials in the UK...

18th December 2025

Hartlepool Labour MP Jonathan Brash has stated today that he is proud to stand with 37 fellow MPs opposing controversial reforms that would effectively dismantle the centuries-old institution of trial by jury — a cornerstone of British justice and civil liberty which some claim is another move towards authoritarianism & sets the country down an unthinkable path.

The UK Government, led by The Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, has unveiled a radical series of reforms aimed at tackling the chronic backlog in the criminal courts. Its claimed nearly 80,000 crown court cases are now awaiting trial, with some defendants and victims said to be facing waits of up to five years before having their day in court. The Government argues that the system is in a “courts emergency” and that decisive action is needed to modernise and speed up justice.

Many feel the move will turn courts into the ultimate 'Kangaroo Court' setting

Under current proposals Jury trials would be scrapped for the large majority of cases in England and Wales where the likely sentence is less than three years. These cases would instead be heard by a single judge without a jury in a new system of so-called “swift courts.”, or "Drumhead Courts", as critics dub them.

Jury trials would then only be reserved for the most serious offences, such as murder, rape, grievous bodily harm, and other indictable-only crimes, with Magistrates’ courts — where lay magistrates already decide less serious cases without juries — would have their sentencing powers increased to help process more cases at a lower level.

The Government says these reforms will help reduce delays, cut unnecessary court time, and deliver justice more quickly for both victims and defendants, claiming judge-only trials can be processed faster than traditional jury trials.

Concerns over Judges having to the power to determine a case instead of a Jury has already led to claims the system would be readily abused by Judges perceived by many to be 'corrupt' particularly those on Teesside Judicial Benches.

For centuries, the right to a trial by jury of one’s peers has been emblematic of British justice. Its roots are often traced back to the Magna Carta of 1215 — a document that established the principle that no one should be deprived of liberty except by the lawful judgment of their equals. Critics argue that removing this right from thousands of defendants undermines not just criminal procedure, but core democratic safeguards.

Jonathan Brash’s statement that “you don’t fix a court backlog by stripping away a fundamental right” reflects an emerging critique shared by legal professionals, campaigners and now fellow MPs. Opponents argue the reforms are a shortcut that sacrifices fairness for speed, and that long delays are fundamentally a product of underfunding and years of cuts to the justice system — not the jury system itself.

Political Backlash and Cross-Party Opposition

The move has led to 'cross party support' for the reforms to be scrapped.

The plans have drawn bipartisan resistance within Parliament. An Early Day Motion tabled in the Commons expresses “grave concern” at the proposals, urging the Government to abandon the plans and instead invest in Increasing judicial sitting days, Recruiting more judges and recorders, as well as utilising unused court space, modernising the court infrastructure, and tackling case backlogs without attacking jury rights, with MPs from across the Commons signing letters, voicing urgent questions, and pledging to oppose any measures that would see jury trials effectively abolished for thousands of people.

The risk of Judicial Bias is Huge...

Public Confidence in the UK Justice system is currently at its lowest ever level

Broad sectors of the legal profession — including solicitors, barristers and legal reform advocates — warn that judge-only trials could Increase the risk of judicial bias, Reduce public confidence in verdicts & Concentrate too much power into the hands of the judiciary. Some research also suggests that removing jury trials would only modestly reduce court time, undermining the stated purpose of the reforms..

Critics of the Government’s plan have outlined practical alternatives to speed up justice without dismantling a fundamental constitutional right, one such alternatibe was said to have been proposed by the Hartlepool Labour MP himself in the form of the re-opening of closed or under-used courts, such as Hartlepool Magistrates’ Court.

As well as the re-opening of previously 'mothballed' court centres, arguments are being made for the proper funding for the courts and Crown Prosecution Service, as well as increasing the number of court sitting days and judicial appointments & the improvement of case management and the use of digital systems. The measures, opponents argue, would preserve the integrity of jury trials, while addressing the backlog more effectively than removing juries.

Removing Jury Trials would be 'The Final Straw' for some who feel the UK is sliding into Authoritarianism.

Many feel the UK is heading down a dangerous path towards a government resembling that of North Korea, & Scrapping Jury Trials only reinforces this notion critics claim

The Government’s plans to curtail jury trials represent one of the most profound challenges to the British criminal justice system in generations.

While the perceived goal is to reduce delays and deliver faster justice, opponents — including Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash — insist that stripping away the right to be tried by a jury is simply not the solution.