Jury trials under threat? The Courts and Tribunals Bill explained

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of the Courts and Tribunals Bill on jury trials and defendants' rights, featuring insights from Lord Macdonald of River Glaven.

The Government’s plan to restrict the right to a jury trial for certain defendants cleared its Second Reading in the Commons this week – but the fight is far from over. The proposals in the Courts and Tribunals Bill are already provoking fierce criticism, including from a determined group of Labour backbenchers. To explore what’s at stake, we speak to barrister and former Director of Public Prosecutions, Lord Macdonald of River Glaven. We explore why legal experts are alarmed by the changes, what the reforms could mean for defendants’ rights and the criminal courts system, and whether Ministers might yet be forced into compromise. Meanwhile, the Bill to remove hereditary Peers from Parliament has now passed through the Lords. We examine the late-stage deal that helped ease opposition in the Upper House, while Mark takes aim at what he calls the “total bosh” used to defend hereditary seats, dismissing it as little more than romantic nostalgia. This week the Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has also been in combative form. He has once again rebuked ministers for briefing the media before informing MPs, ordered a member out of Prime Minister’s Questions, and publicly criticised the…

People in this episode

Guest: Lord Macdonald of River Glaven

Topics covered

• jury trials
• Courts and Tribunals Bill
• defendants' rights
• criminal courts system
• hereditary Peers
• Parliament
• government criticism

Keywords

• jury trial
• Courts and Tribunals Bill
• defendants' rights
• Labour
• hereditary Peers
• Parliament
• Sir Lindsay Hoyle
• government criticism
• criminal justice
• politics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Labour, Government, Conservatives, Commons, Lords, Parliament

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