21 March 2007

Law Society

http://www.lawsociety.org.uk

Peers Reject No-Jury Trials

The Government's latest plans to remove the right to trial by jury in serious and complex fraud cases collapsed last night after the measure was voted down in the House of Lords.

Peers denied the Fraud (Trials without a Jury) Bill further progress in this parliamentary session after backing a delaying motion tabled by Lord Kingsland by 216 votes to 143. The move follows sustained criticism of the Bill from the Law Society and other bodies, and marks the third failed attempt to introduce the measure since 2003.

Fiona Woolf, Law Society President, insists that the proposals are a misguided attack on our justice system:

"Juries are an essential foundation of our justice system. They provide a barrier against oppressive and politically motivated prosecutions. They enhance the transparency of the court process and promote public confidence in the criminal justice system. We are pleased that the House of Lords has upheld this fundamental principle. It would be quite wrong for the Government to force through such a significant change to our system of justice using the Parliament Act procedure, particularly when there was no manifesto commitment to justify that approach."

"The solution to the problem of over lengthy trials lies in better case management and in the new protocols for complex cases."

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For more information call the Law Society Press Office on 020 7320 5884

Catherine Reed
Press Officer
Law Society
0207 320 5902

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