Closed petition Do not restrict the right to trial by jury.

Closed on 7 March 2021

Government should not remove trial by jury and replace it with trial by judge and two magistrates. Government should fund the justice system adequately in order to maintain our right to a fair trial and to deal with the backlog of court cases.

Removing the right to trial by jury is both unconstitutional and dangerous. Juries are judges of the facts. They bring life experience and diversity that is not found in the judiciary or magistracy.

Removing juries will not improve justice. The backlog of cases has been long-standing and is created by cuts to justice system over many years. To reduce the backlog by pushing more cases through without juries is the wrong approach and sets a dangerous precedent.