A video posted online by Lawyer and CEO of CAMPAIGN FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE Peter Stefanovic has now racked up a million views.
David Lammy as shadow Justice Secretary
“Trial by jury is a cornerstone of our democracy and an essential safeguard against authoritarianism – don’t just take my word for it” says Stefanovic in his video before playing a Clip of David Lammy from 2020 as shadow Justice Secretary saying:
“The jury system is fundamental to our constitutional arrangement. Jury’s being replaced by judges and magistrates is effectively the establishment rather than your peers who live in your community deciding what justice should be”
A powerful argument for the need to retain jury trials
After this interview in 2020, Mr Lammy on social media wrote:
“Jury trials are a fundamental part of our democratic settlement. Criminal trials without juries are a bad idea. The Government need to pull their finger out and acquire empty public buildings across the country to make sure these can happen in a way that is safe” (June 2020)
“Robert Buckland is wrong to consider proposals to limit jury trials for certain offences. The right to trial by your fellow citizens is fundamental to our democracy. It would be wrong of the government to abandon this valuable tradition for short-term benefit” (June 2020)
David Lammy as Secretary of State for Justice
However, in light of Mr Lammy’s comments in opposition, it was a rude awakening to many when in December 2025 as Secretary of State for Justice his announcement to the House of Commons:
“I will create new swift courts within the crown court with a judge alone deciding verdicts in triable either way cases with a likely sentence of three years or less”
In addition to justify the government plan to scrap Jury trials in England and Wales for crimes with sentences of less than three years Mr Lammy came up with this gem:
“Our reforms are based on a simple premise. Triage. In a hospital if you scrape your knee you are not seen by a consultant. On the same premise in a crown court case if you’ve stolen a bottle of whisky you should not get a jury trial”
As Stefanovic illustrates in his video:
“What even is this bollocks. I suspect most of us would agree that a three year prison sentence is a little more serious than a scrape on the knee – it would likely destroy your family life and career – if it were you would you want guilt and possible imprisonment handed down by the state alone – or shared with ordinary citizens – people just like you – who at least have some understanding of the circumstances of your life”
Stefanovic then plays a Clip from Sky News presenter Sophie Ridge in which she makes a number of important points on the government proposals:
“The whole point of Justice in this country is you be judged by twelve of your fellow citizens. If it’s a judge that changes everything. Judges are not reflective of the population. 90% of them are white, 65% are men, by definition they’ve had a university education – that would be justice decided by a certain sector of society”
But surely there is therefore a risk of unconscious bias by removing jury trials?
Stefanovic continues in his film
“It’s unthinkable isn’t it – the right to trial by jury is an important factor in the delicate balance between the power of the state and the freedom of the individual. The further it’s restricted, the greater the imbalance – those are not my words – they are the words of Keir Starmer!” (Writing for the Socialist Lawyer magazine, 1992)
These words are also given in submission to the Public Bill Committee(Courts and Tribunals Bill 2024-26)
Stefanovic proceeds by saying:
“Now Prime Minister – Keir Starmer is spearheading one of the most shocking attacks on civil liberties in modern times – even though Independent analysis shows these changes would make NO meaningful difference to the court backlog – and there is no credible evidence it will make justice swifter – in fact the back log in our courts has been driven not by jury trials but by a combination of long-term funding cuts, court closures and staff shortages to name but a few”
Stefanovic then references a report co-written by Starmer that found throwing out jury trials led to wrongful convictions.
So why on earth would he propose this?
Overwhelming opposition
More than 3,200 lawyers have written to the prime minister urging him to “rethink” plans to restrict jury trials for all but the most serious cases. Also 30 organisations representing victims of violence against women and girls have written to the Justice Secretary urging him against curtailing the right to jury trials.
As Stefanovic says in the conclusion of his film
“The Prime Minister’s backbenchers oppose it, his professional colleagues oppose it, and, in a previous life, he himself opposed it – and to be clear the government has absolutely no mandate for this – Labour never mentioned in its manifesto that it planned to undermine and restrict this fundamental cornerstone of our democracy – a move which will place us on a path toward authoritarian justice – but it’s not too late for the government to listen to the thousands of voices of victims, judges, barristers, other legal professionals and academics who oppose this blatant act of constitutional vandalism by the Prime Minister – so CONTACT YOUR MP NOW – express your concern – and ask that they step up to protect this cherished and precious cornerstone of our democracy and essential safeguard against authoritarianism”
The Criminal Justice Blog 