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'Defending the right to trial by jury in England and Wales' - your letters, plus a historic 1942 road race snapshot

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By Tania Taylor
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Supporting image for story: 'Defending the right to trial by jury in England and Wales' - your letters, plus a historic 1942 road race snapshot
PICTURE FROM THE PAST: Riders in a groundbreaking Llangollen to Wolverhampton road race held on Sunday, June 7, 1942, passing over Atcham Bridge, Shrewsbury. The race was organised by Percy Stallard in defiance of the National Cyclists Union which banned massed start road racing.

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UK jury trials key to justice

Since Magna Carta, this country has always recognised and guarded the principle that no individual shall be deprived of liberty "but by the lawful judgement of their peers” – hence the practice of jury trials.

That principle has been a safeguard of our constitutional balance, a cornerstone of English & Welsh liberty that has endured precisely because it prevents the concentration of criminal justice power in the hands of the State.

Juries reach a collective decision, and have the right to use their conscience in order to make their decisions. This right is enshrined at the Old Bailey, and was recently confirmed at the High Court to be an “established feature of our constitutional landscape… which has been affirmed… in the highest courts”.

The real backlog of Crown Court cases must be sorted. However, the Bar Council and Criminal Bar Association have stated clearly that there is no evidence that stopping or reducing jury trials will sort the problem out.