Some jury trials may be scrapped in England and Wales as court backlog hits record high

Sir Brian Leveson will also be asked to consider whether magistrates should be empowered to look at more cases to free up crown court capacity to consider the more complex, serious crimes. Photograph: Lewis Whyld/PA

Jury trials could be abandoned for some criminal cases in England and Wales under a radical overhaul proposed by ministers as the crown courts backlog hit a record high.

A review, to be led by the former high court judge Sir Brian Leveson, will consider creating “intermediate courts” where cases could be heard by a judge flanked by magistrates, in an attempt to speed up the length of trials.