John Redwood's Diary

Trial by jury and the common law

By johnredwood on November 29, 2025

The government is having a go at removing juries from most trials, demolishing a fundamental right of all freeborn English people to a trial judged by representatives of the public. It sits easily with their wish to put us under international, EU and code law, to marginalise the flexibility and commonsense of common law, and to put a class of technocratic governors and spies over us.

Tony Blair tried the jury trick but was resisted by the Lords. The UK is not short of jurors. Trials are not delayed owing to a shortage of jury members, but to rationed court time and a shortage of judges and criminal law barristers. Court hours are short and case waiting times unacceptably long. The government needs to use more buildings as courts and hire more lawyers to conduct cases.

A better reform to free court time would be to decriminalise not paying the BBC licence fee. Make that a debt like any normal contract for services. Reduce the number of thought control offences by allowing more free speech whilst taking seriously incitement to violence and terrorist plans.

This government seems to despise our history and wants to submit our democratic and legal freedoms to control by international lawyers and judges in their own woke mode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-44tW0INx7A

Juries can vote against the judge using their conscience.