Courts and Tribunals Bill
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | A Bill to Make provision in relation to criminal courts in England and Wales; to make provision about the leadership of tribunals; to amend section 1 of the Children Act 1989 to remove the presumption relating to the involvement of parents in the life of a child; and for connected purposes. |
|---|---|
| Introduced by | David Lammy (Commons) |
Status: Not passed | |
The Courts and Tribunals Bill is a proposed act of parliament that would, most notably, restrict the use of juries in trials.[1]
The bill passed a vote in the House of Commons on the 10th of March 2026, with MPs voting 304-203 in favour.[2] The bill is now in the committee stage.[3]
In restricting the use of the jury trials, the bill has seen some controversy.[4][5] In a criticism of the bill in parliament, Conservative MP, Geoffrey Cox, argued "It is the jury that protects us from the allegation that the state is deciding upon that citizen’s future. That is what protects, preserves and enhances the reputation of the administration of justice."[6]
References
- ^ "Courts and Tribunals Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament". UK Parliament. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ Seddon, Paul; Nevett, Joshua (10 March 2026). "Jury restriction plan clears first hurdle despite Labour dissent". BBC News. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ "Courts and Tribunals Bill - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament". UK Parliament. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ Freeman, Hadley (14 March 2026). "David Lammy is using rape victims to get his way on juries". The Times. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ Topping, Alexandra (10 March 2026). "Jess Phillips reveals she is 'victim of courts backlog' as jury trial bill passes". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ "Courts and Tribunals Bill - Hansard - UK Parliament". UK Parliament. 10 March 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.