Abolish Juries? - No Way!
Abolish Juries in Fraud Trials
Law Society Press Release
15 November 2006
Government plans to introduce a stand-alone bill to remove juries
in fraud trials will be fiercely opposed again by the Law
Society. The Law Society believes trial by jury in all serious
criminal cases is a fundamental right, vital to the public
confidence in our justice system. Juries ensure democratic
accountability in the criminal courts, provide a barrier against
oppressive or politically motivated prosecutions, and enhance the
transparency of the justice system. Fraud trials frequently come
down to the question of whether the accused was acting
dishonestly. The legal test for dishonesty offences relates to
what an ordinary citizen perceives to be dishonest. It is
absolutely right for juries, not judges, to determine that.
And So Does ILEX
ILEX Press Release
16 November 2006
The Institute of Legal Executives (ILEX) has said that juries are
not necessarily essential for justice to be achieved in all fraud
cases. ILEX was responding to the inclusion of the Fraud (Trials
Without Jury) Bill in the Queen’s Speech yesterday. This Bill
enables trials to be held without a jury in ‘serious’ fraud
cases, where this is agreed by a High Court judge. At present 95%
of criminal cases do not go before a jury. However ILEX does
believe that the jury system is not at the heart of the failure
of the long and complex fraud trials that led to this new piece
of legislation being created.