Scrapping jury trials for fraud and financial cases brings 'serious concerns'

Government plans to push ahead with jury-free trials for certain fraud and financial proceedings raise “serious concerns”, according to the Institute for Government (IFG) and lawyers across the City.

“The government’s partial retreat on jury trial reform is welcomed, but serious concerns remain if ‘technical and lengthy fraud and financial offences’ will still be heard by a judge alone under amendments to the Courts and Tribunals Bill,” Kingsley Napley partner and CLLS Corporate Crime & Corruption Committee Chair, Louise Hodges, said.

Hodges said: “The risk is that this will introduce more complexity and delays with arguments about what exactly is a ‘technical and lengthy’ fraud and financial offence and how to ensure that this provision will be applied consistently and fairly.”

“Defendants facing the most serious financial allegations — allegations that can destroy careers, reputations and lives — deserve the same right to be judged by their peers as any other defendant. Drawing an arbitrary line around financial crime and calling it reform is not good enough,” she added.