CEO Claire Anderson comments on proposals to reform jury trials, in City AM and Law360

Church Court Chambers’ CEO Claire Anderson comments on the Justice Secretary’s controversial proposal to remove jury trials in cases carrying a maximum sentence of three years, setting out why this reform poses a serious risk to both the legal profession and the health of the democratic system.

“The restriction of trial by jury is a restriction of democracy itself. Juries safeguard collective, transparent and independent decision making, free from state influence. Limiting their use heightens the risk of unconscious bias and erodes public confidence in fair verdicts.

“Jury service also ensures that society remains directly involved in upholding the rule of law, which underpins the entire criminal justice system. What the system needs is serious financial investment, not the removal of the very mechanism that represents the beating heart of justice.”

Claire’s comments were published in City AM, 2 December, and Law360, 3 December.