Revolutionizing Justice: Major Changes Proposed to Jury Trials for Fraud and Sexual Offenses Amidcourt Backlog Crisis
LONDON, England — A significant overhaul of the U.K. criminal justice system is underway, with proposals that could reshape the landscape of jury trials, particularly for fraud and certain sexual offenses. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is weighing options to allow a specialist judge to handle fraud cases rather than having them heard by a jury. The changes aim to expedite the handling of fraud cases, which often involve intricate financial details that can be challenging for jurors to fully grasp. Current estimates indicate that fraud cases, which constitute only 1.6% of the crown court backlog, … Read more