By John Smith • 24 June 2020 • 16:02
The Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Robert Buckland MP
THE Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary in the British Parliament, Robert Buckland MP has appeared before the justice select committee and confirmed that the government is considering reducing the right of individuals to trial by jury.
He has used the argument that there is such a backlog of cases due to the closure of courts by the Covid-19 pandemic that in order to resolve the situation a trial should be heard by a judge and two magistrates who would then decide on the defendant’s guilt.
According to the Labour List publication, the number of untried cases in Crown Courts prior to the pandemic was 39,000 and now three months later it stands at 41,000, hardly a major cause for worry especially as there are said to be 400,000 magistrates court hearings outstanding.
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Married to Ophelia in Gibraltar in 1978, John has spent much of his life travelling on security print and minting business and visited every continent except Antarctica. Having retired several years ago, the couple moved to their house in Estepona and John became a regular news writer for the EWN Media Group taking particular interest in Finance, Gibraltar and Costa del Sol Social Scene. Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews
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