CAMPAIGNERS held a national day of action today in protest at government plans to restrict the right to trial by jury in an attempt to reduce backlogs.

Groups gathered outside 40 crown courts in England and Wales to warn the public of the plans in the Courts and Tribunal Bill, currently at the report stage, which will see a single judge pass sentence in tens of thousands of cases each year.

Research by the Institute for Government and the Bar Council has found that the plans will only cut backlogs by 2 per cent, reducing a two-year wait by just one week.

Justice Secretary David Lammy’s own report found that black and ethnic minorities receive a fairer trial with a jury than in front of magistrates.

Jury Alliance spokesman Dr Clive Dolphin said: “Everyone will be impacted by the Bill, and for those already marginalised in the criminal justice system, it’s a disaster.

“People trust juries. We must show the strength of public feeling against [the legislation] — it’s the best means we have of stopping it.”