Solicitor Advocate Abigail Ashford comments on proposals to reform jury trials, in BBC News and City AM

Commenting in BBC News and City AM, Solicitor Advocate Abigail Ashford examines the Justice Secretary’s controversial proposals to reform jury trials and discusses the impact these reforms will have on the criminal justice system.

Abigail’s comments were published in BBC News and City AM, 2 December 2025.

“The removal of juries from most Crown Court cases strikes at the heart of open justice. Trial by one’s peers is a constitutional safeguard that underpins public confidence in the system.

“The backlog is severe, but sidelining juries or expanding Magistrates’ Court powers will offer little relief. These are short-term fixes that ignore the root issues – chronic underfunding, a crumbling court estate, a shortage of judges, and courtrooms sitting empty.

“Judge-only trials risk deepening existing inequalities and eroding confidence among communities who already feel marginalised. In complex or sensitive cases, removing the community from assessing credibility and fairness undermines trust in a way that cannot be compensated for by concentrating decisions in the hands of a single judge.

“There is a real danger that these reforms simply shift the problem elsewhere. Judge-only trials are likely to generate more appeals, increasing pressure on the Court of Appeal.

“If the government is serious about reducing the backlog, the answer lies in long-term investment and rebuilding the courts’ basic infrastructure – not dismantling one of the justice system’s most fundamental protections.”