Dear John,

Last week, a leaked Ministry of Justice memo revealed plans to rip up our criminal justice system.

David Lammy wants to end jury trials for almost all serious crimes, leaving only the most extreme offences for juries and pushing thousands of cases into judge-only courts.

Trial by jury has been the jewel in the crown of our justice system for more than 800 years. In 2020, Lammy himself said jury trials are fundamental to our democracy, and that trials without them are a bad idea. He was right then.

Yes, the courts are in crisis. Nearly 80,000 cases are stuck in the backlog, and victims are being forced to wait years for justice. But that crisis was created by the former Conservative Government’s complacency and chronic underfunding, and it cannot be used as an excuse to rip up the right to a fair trial.

The Liberal Democrats simply won’t stand for it.

We’ve been calling for proper solutions: more court sitting days, using empty courtrooms, fixing broken private transport contracts, and investing in rehabilitation to cut reoffending. That’s how you fix the backlog - not by smashing jury trials.

The Liberal Democrats believe in a justice system that is fair, open and accountable. Removing juries on this scale, far beyond Leveson’s recommendations, is an utter disgrace. We will fight these plans every step of the way.

Best wishes,