Andy Burnham has said he has “concerns” about plans to reduce the number of jury trials in England and Wales and wants to look in detail at the proposals.
The proposals were put forward by former justice secretary David Lammy under Sir Keir Starmer’s government.
Lammy had said reducing the number of jury trials would help tackle the huge backlog in Crown Court cases, but critics – including most barristers and many Labour MPs – fear it will undermine the justice system.
Speaking to reporters on a visit to Sheffield, the prime minister said: “My instincts are that we need to find ways of not reducing access to jury trial.”
He said he wanted to “really look in detail” at the proposal, which is set to become law in the next few months, as part of the Courts and Tribunals Bill.
He added: “It’s similar to the early release scheme. I want to get inside these issues before I confirm any of the plans that I inherited and, in fact, probably looking for changes.”
Last week, Burnham announced a pause in a scheme that would have seen thousands of prisoners in England and Wales released early.
The prime minister said he had also started the process of readmitting Hull East MP Karl Turner, one of the biggest critics of the jury trials plan, into the Parliamentary Labour Party.
“I’ve asked the chief whip to speak to Karl and, sort of, agree a process that can be taken forward,” he told reporters.
“Obviously, addressing issues that the chief whip will need to discuss, but that’s where we are.”
Turner had the Labour whip suspended in March by Sir Keir Starmer over what was described as his “uncollegiate” behaviour towards colleagues rather than his criticisms of government policy.
But the MP said it was “clear” that he had been suspended because of his criticism of the then government’s policy on jury trials.
He had branded the planned reforms a “stupid idea” and urged Lammy to “please God, stop what you’re doing”.
Under Lammy’s plans, juries in England and Wales would be replaced with a single judge in cases where a convicted defendant would be jailed for up to three years.
The then justice secretary argued that it could help turn around the Crown Court backlog, which has reached record levels of 80,000 cases.
The delays mean some defendants charged today may not face trial until 2030.
But the plan has faced widespread criticism, including from the legal profession.
In March, Kirsty Brimelow KC, the senior criminal lawyer who heads the Bar Council, said: “There is very little evidence to support even basic rationality of the government’s decision to rush through this legislation which unnecessarily removes jury trials from thousands of people.”
Conservative shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy urged Labour MPs to join the Conservatives in voting against the changes, adding that juries provide a “safeguard between the citizen and the state”.
