David Lammy has been condemned over his plans to scrap the majority of jury trials.
Speaking to GB News, Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan hit out at the Justice Secretary for attempting to remove a “cornerstone of democracy”.
Defending his proposal, Mr Lammy vowed to lay out a “fast and fair justice plan that gives victims and survivors the swift justice they deserve”.
He wrote in The Telegraph: “Today I am calling time on the courts emergency that has left victims of the most serious crimes waiting years for justice and pushed the justice system to the brink of collapse.
“For many victims, justice delayed is often justice denied. This simply cannot go on, we must be bold.”
But criticising the proposals, Mrs Morgan told GB News: “I think jury trials are a cornerstone of any democracy.
“And it’s really, really concerning that in order to solve a broken and chaotic justice system, which is broken from beginning to end, that removing the fundamental rights of British citizens to trial by their peers is the answer to that.”
Highlighting Mr Lammy’s past support for jury-led trials in court, the Lib Dem MP took aim at the Justice Secretary’s sudden U-turn.
Helen Morgan has accused David Lammy of being ‘about-face’ over his decision to scrap thousands of jury trials
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GB NEWS / PA
She said: “David Lammy was very, very critical of the removal of trial by jury when he was in opposition.
“So this this about-face is quite surprising to see.”
Asked for her verdict on the chairman of the Budget for Office Responsibility, Richard Hughes, resigning over the recent Budget leak, Ms Morgan said: “I think that was the right decision by him.
“It’s a completely chaotic situation and we’ve seen a hugely chaotic run up to the whole Budget. So I think it’s right that he’s taking responsibility for what’s happened.”
Pressed by host Ellie Costello on whether she believes the OBR is “fit for purpose”, the Lib Dem MP told GB News that forecasts need to be removed of “political motivation”.
She said: “I think the OBR needs to look at its processes and ensure that this kind of thing doesn’t happen again.
“They need to understand why they’ve been making this information publicly available before it should have been.
“But I think a process of forecasting for the Chancellor which isn’t politically motivated, it’s probably a helpful thing to have.”
Mrs Morgan told GB News that jury trials are a ‘cornerstone of our democracy’
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GB NEWS
Also voicing his concern for the removal of jury trials, Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride told GB News that it is the “wrong decision” by Mr Lammy.
He stated: “I think to dismiss the centuries-long tradition where we’ve had jury trials as hanging on to tradition, it’s a little bit perverse.
“I think it’s a very, very important element of maintaining confidence in our judicial system, and there is an alternative to what he’s doing.”
He added: “And that is to not be spending an extra £16billion on benefits for people who are not in work, but actually putting perhaps some of that resource into speeding up and extending the period over which courts sit so we can get through this backlog. It’s the wrong choice.”