Member

I am concerned about clause 4, which is on judge-only trials. The Government are in listening mode and I am grateful to them, but I am worried. Jonathan Fisher KC, who was the independent reviewer, has reviewed that clause and said it makes no difference. It is true to say that there has been a very complex and lengthy fraud trial in the Crown court, but we should not necessarily jump to the conclusion that the jury members did not understand; I am sure they understood very well. The question might instead be whether the judge properly understood, because it was the judge who dismissed the jury and decided to call it a day and start over.