- Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr has voiced "grave security concerns" over Justice Secretary David Lammy's plans to replace jury trials with judge-only hearings in England and Wales.
- The proposed reforms aim to tackle the substantial backlog in criminal courts, which has resulted in some cases being delayed until 2030.
- Baroness Carr highlighted potential risks to judges, particularly those working in the same location daily, and noted a rise in racist and misogynistic online abuse targeting the judiciary.
- She confirmed that she has strongly advocated for enhanced judicial security to the government and has received assurances that the necessary resources will be made available.
- Lammy's reforms, which recently passed their initial parliamentary stage, include allowing judge-only verdicts for serious cases and increasing magistrates' sentencing powers to up to 18 months.
IN FULL