LABOUR GRANDEES LINE UP AGAINST LAMMY- Justice Secretary, Lammy, faces huge fight to scrap jury trials
David Lammy faces a battle to get plans to scrap jury trials for most crimes through the House of Lords, Labour grandees have warned.
The Justice Secretary is proposing to scrap the right to a jury trial for defendants accused of offences likely to result in prison sentences of under five years.
The reforms mean defendants charged with scores of offences, including burglary, affray, fraud, some sexual crimes and criminal damage up to £10,000, will be stripped of their right to elect trial by jury.
However, Lord Goldsmith, Sir Tony Blair’s attorney general – who was thwarted in his efforts to push through similar reforms in 2003 – said Mr Lammy faced a similar fight in the face of opposition from senior peers.
They will definitely have a battle in the Lords. One or two colleagues have already said to me that the legislation won’t pass the Lords, he told reporters.
