Imran Hussain

Imran Hussain

Labour — Bradford East

Speaking in the House of Commons on 10 March 2026

Debate

Courts and Tribunals Bill

Contribution

I draw the attention of the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests: I am a member of the Bar. I rise to oppose the plan to curtail jury trials, because restricting jury trials is wrong in principle and wrong in practice. Trial by jury is not some quaint tradition that we can trade away when Ministers feel the pressure. As has been said, it is one of the great democratic safeguards in our justice system; it allows ordinary citizens to be judged by their peers and the power of the state to be held in check. It is dangerous to challenge that principle, because there is a reason for it: the balance between the state and the citizen. History teaches us that changing that balance in favour of the state is a dangerous road to go down. The power that we are giving the state is not simply the power for it to issue a fine; we are talking about people losing their liberty.

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