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The Latest Breaking News from Brian Leveson

Crown court backlog in England and Wales hits new record of almost 80,000 cases

Ministry of Justice data shows 10% increase in open cases as waiting times for trial dates reach up to four years

The Guardian - UK

Crown court backlog hits record level

The number of outstanding cases was 78,329 at the end of June, up 10% from a year earlier.

Evening Standard

‘We should have been shouting about this earlier’: David Tennant on his shocking TV show about phone hacking

He went to court over having his phone tapped, and now he’s starring in ITV’s look at the Guardian’s investigation into the scandal. Tennant and writer Jack Thorne open up about this ‘immensely troubling’ story that is far from over

The Guardian - UK

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More than 90 per cent of barristers oppose controversial plan to axe jury trials

Barristers were polled on Sir Brian Leveson’s proposals to scrap jury trials

Evening Standard

Axing jury trials and handing control to judges is 'dangerous', says cleared banker Tom Hayes

Tom Hayes called on MPs to block the ‘dangerous’ idea

Evening Standard

'National failure to deliver justice': Up to three quarters of rape victims withdraw from cases, damning new report reveals

London’s Victims Commissioner details shocking number of victims who abandon hope of seeing justice being done as she calls for ‘radical’ new approach

Evening Standard

Court reforms vital to tackle ‘scandalous disgrace’ of backlog, says Ken Clarke

The Tory grandee backed plans to reduce the number of jury trials and create a new type of crown court where cases are heard by judges.

Evening Standard

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Restrictions on jury trials will put real justice at risk

Letters: Dr Joanna Gilmore and Prof David Mead on Sir Brian Leveson’s proposals to help deal with a backlog in the criminal courts. Plus letters from former crown court judge Owen Davies KC and a sitting magistrate

The Guardian - UK

‘Shameful’ that black boys in London more likely to die by 18 than white boys, says Met chief

Mark Rowley says historically ‘policing has got a lot wrong’ in black communities but ‘we get a lot more right today’

The Guardian - UK

The Guardian view on restricting trial by jury: the ugly face of justice tailored to tight budgets

Editorial: An independent review of the criminal courts lays bare the lack of good options when well-funded reform is not on the table

The Guardian - UK

OPINION - Getting rid of trial by jury could have disastrous consequences

When the right to trial by jury is radically cut back later this year or early next, let’s not pretend it’s because anyone has come up with a better idea for handling criminal cases.

Evening Standard

Could England and Wales introduce jury-free trials? Here’s how they work in other countries

The right to trial by jury is a fundamental part of the criminal justice system in England and Wales. But under new proposals to address a record backlog of almost 77,000 Crown Court cases, some cases could now be heard by judge alone.

The Conversation

Jury trials ‘always important’ part of justice system amid court reform shake-up

Plans to reduce the number of jury trials and create a new type of crown court where trials are heard by judges were unveiled on Wednesday.

Evening Standard

Proposals would see ‘most sweeping transformation of criminal courts in a generation’

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The Independent UK

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The Independent UK

Scrap jury trials for fraud and sex assault cases to stop ‘total collapse’ of system, report suggests

The government is considering sweeping court reforms proposed in a review by Sir Brian Leveson

Evening Standard

Limit jury trials to save justice system from total collapse, government told

Sir Brian Leveson said his reforms are necessary to avoid the collapse of the criminal justice system

The Guardian - UK

Jury-free trials proposed to save criminal justice system from collapse

Senior judge Sir Brian Leveson unveils radical proposals to clear huge backlog in crown courts in England and Wales

The Independent UK

Court reforms proposed to ‘reduce risk of total system collapse’ – review

Sir Brian Leveson has unveiled plans to shake-up the structure of courts and reclassify offences on Wednesday.

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The Guardian - UK

More trials with no jury will disadvantage people of colour, charities warn

Reformers say more judge-only trials in England and Wales could lead to more miscarriages of justice

The Independent UK

Crown courts at ‘breaking point’ as backlog reaches new record high

Almost 77,000 crown court cases were waiting to be heard in March, figures show

The Independent UK

Crown court backlog of cases passes 75,000 for first time

Fresh data shows the open caseload stood at 76,957 at the end of March this year, up from 74,651 at the end of December 2024.

The Independent UK

Court system in crisis as ‘jaw-dropping’ delays mean first trials listed for 2029

Exclusive: One barrister said his client might not live to see his case come to trial in four years

The Guardian - UK

Here’s a radical way to save England’s collapsing justice system: get rid of juries

We’re saddled with an archaic system. As record numbers of trials stall and costs soar, it’s time for us to ditch this relic, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins

Evening Standard

Crown court backlog hits new record high

Justice Minister Sarah Sackman KC said the backlog could rise to 100,000 by the end of 2029.

Evening Standard

Shabana Mahmood: Serco’s performance fitting electronic tags ‘not good enough’

Serco has repeatedly come under fire for delays in fitting offenders with tags since it took over the Ministry of Justice’s tagging contract in 2023.

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