Exclusive: Courts minister says change needed to stop criminals opting for juries to delay cases, sometimes by years, and clear huge backlog * UK politics live – latest updates Criminals will be stopped from “gaming the system” by choosing trial by jury in order to increase the chances of proceedings collapsing, the courts minister has said, promising to enact radical changes to limit jury trials by the next election. Drug dealers and career criminals were “laughing in the dock” knowing cases can take years to come to trial, Sarah Sackman told the Guardian, saying inaction would be a road to “chaos and ruin”. Continue reading...

Unusual last-minute change means panel of three will now hear case rather than Mr Justice Chamberlain Concerns have been raised after the judge who was expected to hear a legal challenge to the ban on Palestine Action was removed from the case at the last minute without explanation. Mr Justice Chamberlain had granted permission for the judicial review and said that he would preside over the trial but it has emerged that a panel of three different judges will instead hear the case, which is due to start on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Proposed changes unlikely to apply for trials of serious offences such as rape and murder

Unusual last-minute change means panel of three will now hear case rather than Mr Justice Chamberlain Concerns have been raised after the judge who was expected to hear a legal challenge to the ban on Palestine Action was removed from the case at the last minute without explanation. Mr Justice Chamberlain had granted permission for the judicial review and said that he would preside over the trial but it has emerged that a panel of three different judges will instead hear the case, which is due to start on Wednesday. Continue reading...