Labour rebels believe they can defeat their own government’s controversial plans to scrap some jury trials , HuffPost UK has learned.

Justice secretary David Lammy provoked a major backlash when he unveiled the policy last week.

Under the reforms, jury trials will be scrapped for crimes that carry a likely sentence of less than three years.

Those cases will be heard by a lone judge in a newly-created Crown Court Bench Division.

The most serious offences such as murder and rape will continue to be dealt with by juries.

Lammy said the changes, which are backed by Keir Starmer , would help to clear the huge backlog of cases in the courts and deliver swifter justice for victims.

But critics say it would undermine the right of accused people to be tried in front of a jury, and will

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