Jury trials will be scrapped for some sexual assault cases, burglary, and drug dealing under government plans to bring down the courts backlog.

Justice Secretary David Lammy stopped short of ending the right to a jury trial for all but the most serious cases, such as murder and rape, which were reportedly under consideration.

But ordinary members of the public will no longer be included in judgement for thousands of offences that currently require a jury. New Feature

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Defendants of crimes that currently can be heard either in a Crown Court – where there is jury – or magistrates court – which are decided by a judge – will lose the right to elect for the former. Instead courts will decide where such cases will be heard.

Currently thre

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