Writing in NLJ this week, Michael Zander KC, NLJ columnist, examines a report that stops short of rejecting the reforms but recommends extensive amendments.
The committee doubts magistrates’ courts can absorb the additional workload, describing the government’s target of 21,000 magistrates by 2029 as unrealistic. It also questions proposals to remove defendants’ right to elect jury trial and to replace full rehearing appeals with narrower reviews.
The report highlights concerns about judge-only trials, retrospective application of reforms and the lack of appeal rights against allocation decisions. Particularly striking is its criticism of judicial diversity, noting that only 1% of Crown Court judges are Black. The committee calls this ‘shocking’ and urges a representative judiciary by 2035.
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