House of Commons – March 10, 2026 – 444

I beg to move an amendment, to leave out from “That” to the end of the Question and add: “this House declines to give a Second Reading to the Courts and Tribunals Bill because trial by jury is a fundamental part of the United Kingdom’s constitution and democracy;

it is wrong to remove defendants’ right to elect for trial in the Crown Court for all triable either-way offences;

extending magistrates courts’ sentencing powers, and restricting the right to appeal against sentences and convictions in the magistrates courts, compounds the fundamental injustice at the heart of the Bill;

reducing public participation in the justice system will undermine confidence in it;

eroding the right to trial by jury will not make a meaningful impact, if any, on the backlog of court cases;

and it calls on the Government to instead tackle the court backlog by improving case management and encouraging earlier pleas, increasing sitting days in the Crown Court, and increasing the hours per day that courts are able to sit by improving the use of technology and the efficiency of prisoner transport.”