Image: Statue of the Lady Justice - Old Bailey, by David Hillas
Rebecca Paul, MP for Reigate, has spoken out in the House of Commons to strongly condemn the Government’s plans to restrict access to jury trial, warning it will weaken a cornerstone of British justice and erode public confidence in the court system.
Speaking on Wednesday 7 January 2026, Rebecca, along with many other colleagues across the House, made the point that Government proposals to limit access to juries will do nothing to solve the courts backlog. What these reforms will do, however, is strip away a fundamental protection from ordinary people and leave them more vulnerable to bias or even miscarriages of justice.
Rebecca challenged Ministers to produce clear evidence that limiting jury trials would make a meaningful difference to reducing the backlog - none was forthcoming. She further argued that, if the Government is proposing a change of such great constitutional and practical importance, it should be able to spell out exactly what it will achieve, over what timescale, and at what cost to justice itself.
Rebecca said: “Plans to restrict access to jury trial take a sledgehammer to one of the most important protections for the people of this country.”
Read the full speech on Hansard HERE or watch the video below.
