PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Protect the right to trial by jury in criminal cases
Guarantee full access to trial by jury in criminal cases, and rule out introducing new limits or replacing juries with judge-only trials. Maintain the existing rights under which indictable and triable-either-way offences are decided by a jury of peers.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
16
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 16/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 16/100,000
Background
Jury trials are a cornerstone of British justice, ensuring the state is held to account and that ordinary citizens play a central role in decisions that can remove someone’s liberty. Reducing access risks unchecked power, miscarriages of justice and the erosion of trust in the legal system. This fundamental safeguard must not be changed without clear democratic consent. Court backlogs should be tackled through proper funding – not by weakening vital protections.