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The Independent UK

National

Amy-Clare Martin

Former justice secretary Jack Straw says right to choose jury trial lets defendants ‘game’ courts

Jack Straw Brian Leveson Liz Truss Shabana Mahmood

Former Labour justice secretary Jack Straw - (PA Archive)

The government should scrap the right of defendants to choose trial by jury for some mid-range offences, former justice secretary Jack Straw has said.

He branded laws allowing someone on trial to choose whether their case will go to a crown court a “ridiculous anomaly” which enabled defendants to “game” the system amid soaring court backlogs.

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