The judiciary’s top official has issued a stark warning concerning the Government’s contentious proposal to implement judge-only trials, highlighting serious security concerns.
Lady Chief Justice Baroness Carr expressed apprehension that judges tasked with deciding guilt in line with Labour’s initiative might face physical threats from disgruntled criminals outside the courtroom.
In her inaugural public objection to Justice Secretary David Lammy’s proposal to eliminate jury trials in thousands of annual cases, Baroness Carr revealed that she had already communicated her strong opposition to the Government.
Labour’s reform aims to alleviate the unprecedented backlog of 80,000 trials by allowing judges to preside without juries in medium-level cases, which encompass violent crimes and drug offenses, potentially involving organized crime gangs.
“I believe it is not only appropriate but my duty to clearly express my grave security concerns regarding judge-only trials,” stated the Lady Chief Justice.
“Working in such an environment is markedly different, as judges typically operate from a centralized location,” she added.
‘So they’re going in and out of one centre on a daily basis, rather than, for example, High Court judges who will be sitting all around the country in England and Wales.
‘So I’ve made the case very, very strongly that this needs to be considered and resourced properly and catered for properly.
The Lady Chief Justice, Baroness Carr, said she had ‘grave security concerns’ over the Government’s plan for judge-only trials
‘I have been assured that has all been heard and understood and that the resources will be made available.’
Baroness Carr, the most senior judge in England and Wales, said: ‘I don’t want to go into too much detail as to where my concerns lie.
In the broadest sense, I would say they centre at the moment on judges going to the same building every day.’
Her remarks reflect fears that convicted criminals, or their associates, could seek revenge against judges who hand down a guilty verdict.
As criminal judges usually work at the same court building every day they could be vulnerable to physical attack by anyone holding a grudge.
The Lady Chief Justice with Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary David Lammy
Baroness Carr also voiced concerns over escalating levels of online abuse against judges.
‘The thing that is really concerning me still is the social media abuse, which has taken a nasty turn when it comes to judges now,’ she said at her annual press conference at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London today.
Baroness Carr – the most senior judge in England and Wales, pictured today at her annual press conference – also voiced concern over growing levels of online abuse directed at judges
‘Increasingly racist, misogynistic social media abuse that is so difficult to control.
‘But we’ve got a Lord Chancellor [Mr Lammy] who speaks out, defends the rule of law as always, and I feel that the messages that I’ve had to convey have been delivered and heard.’
The legal establishment, particularly criminal barristers, have voiced fierce opposition to the judge-only plans, saying they will seriously erode a centuries-old right to jury trial.
The Lady Chief Justice, Baroness Carr, pictured today giving her annual press conference in the library of the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand, central London
Professional bodies have argued there is no evidence jury trial is a key factor in the courts backlog, and suggested the solution lies in greater investment in courts and legal aid.
It emerged last month that Mr Lammy’s proposals will also lead to a fall in the number of criminals in jail.
Official Ministry of Justice documents showed that following an initial spike in the prison population the changes would see fewer offenders behind bars.
Government research also showed that where similar judge-only trials have been introduced in other parts of the world it led to more defendants being acquitted and to shorter jail sentences being handed down.
Ministers have said they expect judge-only trials to be introduced in 2028, assuming the legislation overcomes opposition from backbench Labour MPs and the House of Lords.
The reforms will cost £338million to implement over 10 years.
