Whilst much of our attention this last week has been on budget debates on tax and benefits and whilst our focus over the past few months has been on nationalist demonstrations, abortion, euthanasia and free speech of preachers, something else has been happening and we risk missing the significance of it.
It was reported this week that the Justice Secretary is looking at plans to remove jury trials for all except the most serious of crimes. The vast majority of cases will be heard just by a judge or be kept at magistrates courts.
Now, there may be arguments in favour of removing juries in some cases. There have been longer term debates about what is needed in complex fraud trials. We might observe that there are more ways than one to ensure justice. We may note that there is precedent of judge only trials here in the UK, due to tht troubles in Northern Ireland (though limited to one region and highly controversial). However, the issue is that we are not just seeing one or two exceptions from jury trial due to backlogs.
What is proposed is a situation where jury trials become the exception. This is a substantial constitutional change. It also comes, so far without any concern for how justice will be protected.
Such a change should not go through without significant debate. Christians will want to take an interest in this because the principle of justice should matter to us.
Faithroots 