Justice Secretary David Lammy has warned Labour MPs who rebel against his plan to scrap jury trials risk letting criminals walk free.
Mr Lammy, who is bracing for a showdown with Labour MPs in the House of Commons today, insisted limiting jury services to the most heinous offences will help bring down the record court backlogs of nearly 80,000 cases and reduce the delays of up to five years currently faced by victims.
Rejecting the suggestion the plan is an “affront to the Magna Carta”, the Justice Secretary wrote in The Telegraph: “These reforms are not about weakening justice.
“They are about ensuring justice can be delivered in a 21st-century world.
“To do anything else means tens of thousands more lives left hanging in the balance and criminals walking free as the system struggles to keep up.”
However, around 80 Labour MPs have threatened to vote down the courts bill unless Mr Lammy agrees to concessions at the committee stage.
More than 3,200 lawyers also wrote to Sir Keir Starmer yesterday to warn the Prime Minister against pursuing the “unpopular, untested and poorly evidenced” jury plans.
The legislation returns to the House of Commons today for its second reading.
David Lammy is expected to face off against Labour rebels later today
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Mr Lammy's proposals would replace juries in England and Wales with a single judge in cases where a convicted defendant faces a three-year custodial sentence.
The Ministry of Justice pointed out that more than 90 per cent of criminal cases were already being heard without a jury, with summary offences heading to magistrates' courts.
However, Mr Lammy had previously opposed proposals to limit jury trials in England and Wales.
Speaking in 2020, the Tottenham MP warned: "Criminal trials without juries are a bad idea. You don't fix the backlog with trials that are widely perceived as unfair."
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David Lammy's proposals would replace juries in England and Wales with a single judge in cases where a convicted defendant faces a three-year custodial sentence
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Mr Lammy also wrote a report in 2017 that claimed jury trials "act as a filter to prejudice".
Despite facing a revolt from dozens of Labour backbenchers, Mr Lammy is expected to see off the first challenge in today's second reading.
Leading rebel Karl Turner, who threatened to trigger a by-election if the jury reforms pass through, suggested it would be "misleading" to think there are enough MPs to defeat the bill "at this stage".
However, ex-Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is now being tipped to join a revolt unless she receives concrete assurances from the Justice Secretary.
Angela Rayner looks poised to throw her weight behind the revolt
| GETTYAn ally of Ms Rayner told The Independent: “She is not just supporting the government on this.
"She is picking and choosing what she pushes back on because she does not want to just jump on every bandwagon.”
However, the ex-Deputy Prime Minister is also “seeking reassurances on the changes” before deciding how to vote.
Ms Rayner, who is being tipped as a potential successor to Sir Keir Starmer in No10, has staged several interventions since quitting the Cabinet in September 2025.
Labour MP Karl Turner has expressed his disapproval of the plans | PAHowever, Mr Lammy met with Mr Turner and other potential rebels last night.
The Deputy Prime Minister promised a "meaningful" review period to scrutinise how the reforms are working if approved by Parliament.
Mr Turner is expected to abstain today because Mr Lammy promised to publish an impact assessment.
However, the former Shadow Attorney General warned: “You can lose the battle but win the war. Let’s try and win the war."