Leveson Puts UK Jury Trials on Notice With Proposed Justice Shake-Up.

The article discusses concerns regarding the effectiveness of the jury system in the UK, highlighted by a recent case in which jurors exhibited bias and intimidation during deliberations on rape and sexual assault charges. A government-commissioned review led by retired judge Brian Leveson has proposed significant reforms to address a growing backlog in the criminal justice system, including reducing the number of jury trials for complex cases and introducing out-of-court resolutions. Critics argue that these changes could undermine the historic right to a jury trial and fail to address the root causes of the backlog, which include insufficient funding and increasing case complexity. The government is expected to respond to Leveson's recommendations before potential legislative action in the autumn. [Extracted from the article]