In Defence of Jury Trials – Joint Statement

“The principle that a person who is facing a life-changing judgment, and risks losing their freedom, has the right to have their case heard and judged by people representative of their community – of different ages, ethnicities and professional and educational backgrounds – is a fundamental aspect of the criminal justice system in England & Wales.”

YLAL along with the Young Barristers Committee, Black Protest Legal Support, Black Barristers Network, The Society of Asian Lawyers, The Society of Black Lawyers and BAME Lawyers for Justice have jointly signed a statement unequivocally opposing any change to the jury system in England and Wales. The statement points out in no uncertain terms that the reason for the backlog of criminal cases is due to the decades of underfunding, and that any suggestion that this fundamental constitutional change is required due to the COVID-19 pandemic is disengenuos.

Read the full joint statement here