When a government shifts cases that previously relied on jury trials to judge‑alone trials it concentrates adjudicative power in the bench and the executive’s legal agenda. That procedural change can reduce public confidence and democratic oversight even when justified as efficiency or cost‑saving.
— This reframes seemingly technical procedural reform as a core democratic risk with implications for legitimacy, protest politics, and how citizens perceive state authority.
Matt Goodwin
2026.05.15
100% relevant
Labour’s King’s Speech announced trials for offences carrying up to three years’ imprisonment could be held without juries — the concrete policy move the article highlights as emblematic of broader centralization.
← Back to all ideas